LJD in Kerala to merge with JD(S)

Both LJD and JD-S are partners of states ruling Left Democratic Front LDF.Kumar said detailed discussions will take place in the coming days to decide the modalities of the merger.The state committee has decided in principle on the partys merger with the JDS.

The Kerala state committee of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) on Thursday decided in-principle on the party's merger with the Janata Dal (Secular) led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

LJD state president M V Shreyams Kumar said the party's state committee took the decision to merge with JD(S) considering the political situation in Kerala. Both LJD and JD-S are partners of state's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).

Kumar said detailed discussions will take place in the coming days to decide the modalities of the merger.

''The state committee has decided in principle on the party's merger with the JD(S). The merger will take place very soon,'' he told reporters here. The LJD state chief said there were differences within the state unit of the party over its move to merge with the JD(S), which according to him, is common in democratically functioning political organisations. That doesn't mean that those who have reservations would not cooperate with the merger, he added.

While the JD(S) has two legislators in the state Assembly and got a ministerial berth in the state Cabinet, the LJD could emerge victorious only in one seat in 2021 Assembly polls.