From Mulayam Singh's SP to George Fernandes' Samata Party: List of splits in Janata Dal | EXPLAINED

The dramatic vertical split in Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) earlier this month was seen as a shocker for party founder leader Sharad Pawar. The development not only changed Maharashtra's political landscape rapidly but also triggered a headache for Nitish Kumar, who has been trying hard to keep his Janata Dal-United flock together in Bihar. While Nitish himself has rubbished questions of any danger of a split in JD-U, let's look at how Janata Dal has witnessed several divisions in the past, resulting in the rise of powerful regional parties.

Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya): Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), also called as Janata Dal was founded by Chandra Shekhar in 1990–91, after he and Devi Lal decided to beak away from Janata Dal. Chandra Shekhar led the party until his death. The party was able to gather 60 MPs and form a government which lasted for seven months. With a view to stop Bharatiya Janata Party, in 2015, Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular), Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Indian National Lok Dal, and Samajwadi Party, announced merger into a new national alliance, Janata Parivar in order to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

Janata Dal (Gujarat): Led by Chimanbhai Patel and Chhabildas Mehta, Janata Dal (Gujarat), which broke away from Janata Dal, was dissolved and its leaders joined the Indian National Congress. JD(G) came to power with Kokam theory in 1990 and continued until 1995. They had 70 MLAs in the assembly and received the support of 35 congresse MLA.

Samajwadi Party: The Samajwadi Party was one of several parties that emerged when the Janata Dal. The party was founded by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1992. The Samajwadi Party is now led by former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav after he was chosen as the President at the party's national convention held in January, 2017. In 2014, there was a proposed merger of the Samajwadi Party with some other Janata Parivar parties uniting with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar which didn't happen.

Samata Party: The Samata Party (SAP) initially formed in 1994 by George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar, is now being led by Uday Mandal as its National President. Once a part of Janata Party, Samata Party snapped its ties from its patent and alleged casteism. 

Samajwadi Party: Mulayam Singh Yadav (1992): The Samajwadi Party was one of several parties that emerged when the Janata Dal. The party was founded by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1992. The Samajwadi Party is now led by former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav after he was chosen as the President at the party's national convention held in January, 2017. In 2014, there was a proposed merger of the Samajwadi Party with some other Janata Parivar parties uniting with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar which didn't happen.

Samata Party: The Samata Party (SAP) initially formed in 1994 by George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar, is now being led by Uday Mandal as its National President. Once a part of Janata Dal, Samata Party snapped its ties from its patent and alleged casteism.  

Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) (now Indian National Lok Dal): INLD was founded in October 1996 as Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) by Choudhary Devi Lal. The regional party from Haryana is being led by former Leader of Opposition, Abhay Singh Chautala.

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Biju Janata Dal: The Odisha-based regional party was founded by current CM Naveen Patnaik on December 1997 as a breakaway faction from the Janata Dal. Naveen Patnaik won his second, third, fourth, and fifth terms as Chief Minister of Odisha in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019 state elections respectively.

Rashtriya Janata Dal: Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Alok Kumar Mehta, Jagada Nand Singh, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Mohammad Shahabuddin, Mohammed Taslimuddin, Kanti Singh founded this party after breaking away from Janata Dal in 1997 with Lalu Prasad Yadav as its chief. It was basically a merger of Samajwadi Janata Dal (Democratic) and Loktantrik Janata Dal. 

Lok Shakti: Lok Shakti was one of several parties that were formed when the Janata Dal crumbled in the mid-1990s. After Ramakrishna Hegde was expelled from Janata Dal, the Lok Shakti party was formed in February 1997. It was a founding member of the National Democratic Alliance.

Janata Dal (Secular): The Janata Dal (Secular), which has mainly presence in Karnataka, Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh, was founded by the former prime minister HD Deve Gowda in July 1999 after it broke faction from the Janata Dal. 

Janata Dal (United): In October 2003, George Fernandes' Samata Party and Ramakrishna Hegde's Lok Shakti Party merged with the Janata Dal which gave birth to Janata Dal- United (JD-U). Earlier Samata Party and Lok Shakti Party were part of Janta Dal.

Lok Janshakti Party: Lok Janshakti Party or LJP was founded by Ram Vilas Paswan in 200o. Chirag Paswan is now the National President. If reports are to be believed Chirag Paswan's LJP may be inducted into NDA to counter opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The junior Paswan may be included in PM Modi-Cabinet too.

Rashtriya Lok Samta Party: Upendra Kushwaha launched his Rahstriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) in March 2013 after he had fallen out with Nitish Kumar. Kushwaha had then decided to be a part of the NDA and was even given a berth in Modi's council of ministers. Kushwaha, however, walked out of the NDA as he was upset over not getting two seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Nine years after parting ways with Nitish Kumar, Kushwaha again join hands with him and was made JD-U's parliamentary board chairman in March 2021.