There are fresh ripples in the Janata Dal (U) with supporters of NDA convener George Fernandes planning a national convention of “like-minded people” here for January 21, an apparent attempt to revive the Samata Party.“We believe, the JD(U) has failed to emerge as an effective instrument for a healthy politics or social change and it is time we brought the Samata Party back to life,” JD(U) general secretary Shiv Kumar told The Indian Express this evening. He said the supporters of Fernandes had decided to meet on the lawns of the Vithalbhai Patel House for the purpose after having reached an informal understanding.Kumar was evasive when asked if Fernandes would participate in the meeting. “We have appealed to him to come to the convention, but it is up to him,” he said. However, Fernandes’ name and photographs will dot the convention venue for sure, he added. Given the technical implications of an open revolt with regard to his membership of the Lok Sabha, Fernandes would obviously weigh his options both ways. But just in case he decides against his own participation for the time being, someone else would be installed as chief to keep the post warm for him. Former Samata chief Jaya Jetly, Rajya Sabha member Basishth Narain Singh and former Lok Sabha member from Jahanabad Arun Kumar are said to be front-runners for the post.The ideal scenario for Fernandes would be to be expelled by the JD(U) as it would gurantee him the halo of martyrdom and leave his Lok Sabha membership untouched. But, the official camp, led by party chief Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is determined to afford him neither. Their gameplan is not to take cognisance of the goings on as of now. The two leaders, according to sources, would continue to follow the same policy, which they had adopted in the aftermath of Fernandes’ criticism of Nitish’s government. Their refrain was—one should not answer back when a family elder speaks. It is naturally a polite way of saying that age has started telling on Fernandes.The supposed revival of the Samata Party is also fraught with certain technical snags. The reason being that it still exists, at least on the paper. Former Lok Sabha member Brahmanand Mandal, who had refused to get on board when Fernandes merged Samata with JD(U) in 2003, kept it alive by getting himself elected as its president. He still holds the “flaming torch” symbol of the party. “Mandalji is with us,” Kumar claimed. The next obvious question is whether or not Fernandes would stay as the NDA convener. The Sharad-Nitish combine is not inclined to seek his removal after the convention. Its calculation is that Mulayam Singh Yadav can be trusted not to take him along during his election campaign in UP till he presides an alliance with the BJP. “The contradiction between an alliance with a communal BJP in Delhi and aspirations of Muslims in UP would catch up with him,” sources in the official faction said. But anyway, the JD(U) promises a spell of hectic activity in the next fortnight.
