Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his JD(U) on Monday appeared upbeat about the much-expected merger of erstwhile Janata Parivar constituents and hoped that the new party would emerge in the second or the third week of April.

The major constituents of the proposed party, Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD(U), it is learnt, have ironed out their differences ahead of crucial Bihar Assembly elections later this year. While Samajwadi Party had some issues over the party symbol, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar were not sure about contesting the polls together.

The SP, RJD, JD(U), INLD, JD(S) and Samajwadi Janta Party, which are the offshoots of V P Singh-led Janta Dal, would merge to become “Samajwadi Janta Dal” and might press for chakra or wheel as its party symbol. While SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to be president of the new party, JD (U) supremo Sharad Yadav can be its national convenor.

JD(U) national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP KC Tyagi told The Indian Express: “Mulayam Singh Yadav will hold the final round of talks with top leaders of all constituents in the first week of April. Consensus is likely to emerge on the party name and the symbol. Since we all are from socialist background, we may go with ‘Samajwadi’ prefix to the new party. We have to choose between Janta Dal symbol of wheel or cycle with minor addition can be our party symbol”. Tyagi said Lalu giving nod to merger expedited the process.

On Friday, top Janta Parivar leaders had met at Mulayam’s residence in New Delhi. Bihar CM Nitish had said the Janta Parivar merger was put on fast track.

Sources said Nitish had long been impressing upon Lalu for merger before the Assembly polls. “Unconfirmed reports of RSS asking BJP to win over Nitish further forced merger finalisation that had been put on backburner,” said a JD (U) source.

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