Bangalore: Amidst conflicting signals emerging over moves for unifying "Janata Parivar", JD-U (Janata Dal-United) Karnataka unit on April 13 asserted that the merger of the party and JD (S) would be a reality before the next Assembly elections.

"The merger would be a certainty before the elections (due later next year)", state convenor N Thipanna told reporters after the inauguration of the party's new office in Bangalore.

Thipanna said he had spoken to JD-S (secular) president and former Prime Minister H D Devegowda who had conveyed to him that "good signals" were emerging about the merger.

He said party president and Union Minister Sharad Yadav had told him in clear terms that he would not come in the way of merger between JD (U) and JD (S). "He (Yadav) has given us a free hand to unite at the state level".

State unit JD (U) and a section of JD (S) had joined hands and floated a new outfit called "Akhila Bharata Janata Dal" headed by former Chief Minister S R Bommai.

However, with differences among its leaders, the moves for uniting JD (U) and JD (S) had come unstuck. Compounding the confusion, state leaders loyal to Ramakrishna Hegde dissociated from the ABJD and said JD (U) remained intact.

Yadav had recently dissolved the state JD (U) unit headed by C Byregowda and appointed N Thipanna in his place designating him as the party convenor. Barring Hegde loyalists, almost the entire JD (U) is with ABJD but even there too, differences have cropped among its leaders on "Janata Parivar" unity with contradictory signals emerging on it.

PTI