NEW DELHI, Sept 29: Ajit Singh's Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party (BKKP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) merged into the Lok Dal here today. Singh was elected president of the revived Lok Dal (LD) at the national council and general body meet of the parties which formalised the merger. The meet was also attended by the RLD general secretary Ramesh Chandra and LD president Durgesh Singh Baghel.Ajit Singh later told media persons that the LD was going to follow the same policies enunciated by the party founder Charan Singh 11 years back.
About his stand on tying up with Congress, Singh said alliances were a must in today's politics and that he was open to such alliances with like-minded parties fighting communalism in the country. Supporting reorganisation of states into smaller provinces, he said the policy had to be uniform and that a commission should be set up to look into the whole issue.
``The Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to carve out some smaller states is not a policy decision but a political one'',he said and asked ``If Uttaranchal could be formed, why not set up Bundelkhand?''
He also criticised BJP's decision to use Article 356 in Bihar saying, Uttar Pradesh, ``where half the Kalyan Singh Government is associated with mafia'' was a better case to impose President's Rule.
Singh claimed that BJP was in a ``bad shape'' in the four states going for Assembly elections on November 25 and was in for a defeat.
``All secular parties must come together to ensure its defeat,'' he said.
Earlier, former UP minister and Samajwadi Party member Kailash Nath Yadav joined the Lok Dal. Singh said that a national council of the Lok Dal and a rally would be held in Lucknow on October 27 when rest of the office-bearers would be elected.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.