'Janata Parivar' leaders on meeting spree - yet another unity move on the cards?

The Janata Parivar, with a reputation of frequent wars within and resultant splinter groups, seems to be making yet another attempt at coming together, though given the regional dynamics, it still looks to be a herculean task.

With a very serious attempt in this direction, considering a cropper in 2015 with the last minute walkout by Mulayam Singh Yadav from a larger alliance in Bihar, the leaders are cautious not to make any tall proclamations this time and are open to some loose federation-like arrangements as well, in which the Parivar's splinter groups, though coming together, can still maintain their independent say in the states where they matter.

"What will a political person do other than politics? There is neither any permanent enemy nor any permanent friend in politics. Right now the focus is state polls in six states, especially UP. 2024 is also definitely on the agenda. We will raise common issues," was the cryptic reply of LJD general secretary Javed Raza.

While the much publicised meeting of NDA's Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala got the limelight, within last one week, leaders of the erstwhile Janata Parivar, now heading different political parties in states like UP, Bihar and Haryana, have held meetings.

Read | Lalu Prasad meets Sharad Yadav, backs Chirag Paswan

Back in action after a long lull, Sharad Yadav met a number of leaders of erstwhile Janata Parivar in the last few days. He met H D Deve Gowda, Lalu Prasad and Mulauyam Singh Yadav on Thursday.

Sharad Yadav called on the Samajwadi Party patriarch at his Ashoka Road residence in Delhi and tweeted, "I was very happy to meet our leader, the elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav ji with whom we struggled to do away with inequality from the country and raise issues of India from Parliament to the street for the upliftment of the deprived sections."

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Kumar's friend-turned-foe-turned-friend Lalu Prasad of RJD fuelled speculation saying Nitish Kumar is close to his heart even as his son Tejashwi Yadav kept attacking the Chief Minister in the past few days.

Prasad had one-to-one meetings with Sharad Pawar, Mualyam Singh Yadav and Sharad Yadav. After his meeting with Sharad Yadav on Tuesday, Prasad flagged how he and the two other Yadav leaders had fought many a battle together and that Sharad Yadav's absence in Parliament is being felt while he vowed to fight against the "communal forces" to his last breath.

All the leaders have explained the visit to each other as a "courtesy" one but the frequency of these 'courtesy' visits in the last week have fuelled speculation of something big cooking up. All the leaders also shared the photographs of their 'courtesy' meetings on social media platforms and the political undertones of the comments, leaving no one in doubt about something coming on the political front.

Sharing the picture of his meeting with "senior socialist leader Sharad Bhai" on Twitter Prasad said, "Struggle is the very character of us socialists. The fight against communalism and inequality will continue till the last breath."

Prasad also said that a Third Front is the need of the hour and in the context of Bihar, batted for the unity of Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) and Chirag Paswan (faction of LJP led by late Ram Vilas Paswan's son).

Meeting Mualyam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav on August 2, the RJD chief said, "Today the nation needs equality and socialism, not capitalism and communalism" and asserted "we have common concerns related to villages, inequality, farmers and the unemployed."

All the three Yadav leaders from the Opposition side Chirag Paswan and even Nitish Kumar have spoken in one voice on the OBC census.

JD(S)' Deve Gowda, who met Sharad Yadav on Wednesday, has already said that his is a regional party and it will not ally with anyone (ruling out backing BJP) and instead seek to strengthen its base.