Sharad Yadav merges LJD with Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD after 25 years
Yadav stated upon announcing the merger, "Our party's merger with the RJD is the first step toward opposition unity. To beat the BJP, the whole opposition must unify across India. As of today, uniting is our first goal; only then will we consider who will head the unified opposition."
FollowSharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) joined with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday. The merger took place at Sharad Yadav's apartment in Delhi as part of his efforts to bring together numerous offshoots of the former Janata Dal.
Sharad Yadav stated, upon announcing the merger, "Our party's merger with the RJD is the first step toward opposition unity. To beat the BJP, the whole opposition must unify across India. As of today, uniting is our first goal; only then will we consider who will head the unified opposition,"
When asked about the action, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav stated it was due to "popular demand." "Sharad Yadav's move (merging LJD and RJD) was a result of popular demand. It has sent a message to other opposition parties that it is past time to come together; we should have done so in 2019, but better late than never," Yadav stated.
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Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar founded the LJD on a national scale in May 2018. The party was created when Yadav left the Janata Dal (United) party following its affiliation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar. It has never been able to create an impact since its inception.
Yadav's decision to join his party, which has struggled to make an impact since its inception when he split with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), marks his reunion with Lalu Prasad after more than three decades, with both leaders thought to be nearing the end of their political careers. Lalu Prasad, the head of the RJD, left Janata Dal in 1997 to start his own party due to disagreements with the party's leadership as the investigation into the fodder scam, in which he was a key figure, progressed.
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