K N Venkatasubba Rao/The Hindu

Bangalore, Mar 27: Even as political polarisation is taking place at the national level, “like-minded” leaders of Janata Parviar are making efforts to bring in all the factions of the parivar under one umbrella in the “larger interests” of the nation.

The former Minister, P.G.R. Sindhia, who is spearheading the cause, told The Hindu that barring the Left parties and the Janata Parivar, no other party enjoys public credibility at the national level. It is time that efforts should be made to bring in all parivar leaders such as Lalu Prasad and the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the larger interests of the country.

If the parivar “reunion” proved to be a reality, it would win a minimum of 100 seats on its own in the next Lok Sabha elections (2014) and gain a foothold in many Legislative Assemblies in the country, he said. The proposed meeting of the parivar leaders to be held on March 31 here would be the first step in that direction, he said.

Asked about talks in the political circles that he was making efforts to identify himself with the Janata Dal (United), Mr. Sindhia said that he did not want to identify with any faction of the parivar until the Lok Sabha elections were completed. Although he would not contest in the elections, he would support the parivar candidates in the State, he added.

According to sources close to Janata Dal (U) in Delhi, Mr. Sindhia was keen on joining the Janata Dal (U).