Samata Party

{{Infobox Indian Political Party

| party_name = Samata Party

| president = Uday Mandal{{cite web | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/dispute-over-new-symbol-of-uddhav-shiv-sena-samata-party-files-complaint-101665598941570.html | title=Dispute over new symbol of Uddhav Shiv Sena, Samata Party files complaint | date=12 October 2022 }}

| colorcode = {{party color|Samata Party}}

|founder = George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar

| foundation = 1994

|alliance = National Democratic Alliance(1996 - 2003)

|website = {{URL|samataparty.org}}

|loksabha_seats = {{Infobox political party/seats|0|543|hex={{party color|Samata Party}}}}

|rajyasabha_seats = {{Infobox political party/seats|0|245|hex={{party color|Samata Party}}}}

|ideology = Socialism

|position=Centre to centre-left{{cite book|last1=Mukherjee|last2=Saxena|last3=Mitra|first1=Pampa|first2=Rekha|first3=Subrata|author-link=|date=16 June 2022|title=The 2019 Parliamentary Elections in India Democracy at the Crossroads?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CTZwEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Bharatiya+Lok+Dal%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT78|location=|publisher=Taylor and Francis |page=|isbn=9781000591057}}

|symbol = 90px

| eci = Unrecognised{{Cite news |date=2023-02-22 |title=Samata Party delegation meets Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to seek help in getting back 'flaming torch' symbol from Thackeray faction |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/samata-party-delegation-meets-maharashtra-cm-eknath-shinde-to-seek-help-in-getting-back-flaming-torch-symbol-from-thackeray-faction/article66539962.ece |access-date=2023-07-18 |issn=0971-751X}}

|split = Janata Dal|abbreviation=SAP|flag=File:Samata_Party_Flag.jpg}}

The Samata Party (SAP) is a political party in India, initially formed in 1994 by George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar, is now being led by Uday Mandal as its National President.{{Cite web |last1=Dash |first1=Nivedita |last2=News |first2=India TV |date=2023-07-12 |title=From Mulayam Singh's SP to George Fernandes' Samata Party: List of splits in Janata Dal {{!}} EXPLAINED |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/explainers/from-mulayam-singh-s-sp-to-george-fernandes-samata-party-list-of-splits-in-janata-dal-explained-2023-07-12-880657 |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=indiatvnews.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-10-19 |title=Delhi HC dismisses Samata Party plea against 'flaming torch' symbol allotment |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-hc-samata-party-shiv-sena-flaming-torch-symbol-8218449/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} Samata Party once launched Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister of Bihar.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-19 |title='Flaming Torch' Election Symbol: A Look Back At Samata Party And Nitish Kumar's Ascension To Bihar CM |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/delhi-hc-rejects-samata-party-s-claims-over-flaming-torch-flames-up-memories-of-nitish-kumar-s-installation-as-cm--news-231105 |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=outlookindia.com/ |language=en}} It was an offshoot of the Janata Dal, with the alleged casteism of the parent party being the reason given for the split.{{cite web | title=Samata Party | url=http://www.indian-elections.com/partyprofiles/samta-party.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040601221604/http://www.indian-elections.com/partyprofiles/samta-party.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2004-06-01 | publisher=Indian Elections }} The party has socialist leanings; at one point, it wielded considerable political and social influence in North India, particularly in Bihar. In 2003, most Samata Party members joined Janata Dal (United). Only a faction led by MP Brahmanand Mandal remained in the Samata party and continued to use the party name and symbols.

History

In the general elections of 1996, the Samata Party formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janta Party and won eight seats, six of which were in Bihar and one each in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. Before the election, the party was largely rooted only in Bihar. In the 1998 general elections, again in alliance with Bharatiya Janta Party, it won twelve seats, ten from Bihar and two from Uttar Pradesh.

In March 2000, Nitish Kumar was elected leader of the NDA for Chief Minister of Bihar post. On 3 March, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time at the behest of the Vajpayee Government in the center. NDA and allies had 151 MLA whereas Lalu Prasad Yadav had 159 MLA in the 324-member house. Both alliances were less than the majority mark, 163. Nithish resigned because he could not prove his numbers in the house.{{cite news | url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/march-2000-when-nitish-quit-as-cm-before-floor-test-779422.html | title=March 2000: When Nitish quit as CM, before floor test | newspaper=Deccan Herald | first=Abhay | last=Kumar | date=24 November 2019 | accessdate=3 December 2021 }}{{cite news | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/20000320-nitish-kumars-government-in-bihar-not-outvoted-as-much-as-outmanoeuvred-by-laloo-yadav-777236-2000-03-20 | title=Nitish Kumar's government in Bihar not outvoted as much as outmanoeuvred by Laloo Yadav | publisher=India Today | first=Swapan | last=Dasgupta | date=20 March 2000 | accessdate=3 December 2021}}

Radhabinod Koijam became the second chief minister from Samata Party when was sworn in as Chief Minister of Manipur on 15 February 2001.{{cite news | url=https://in.rediff.com/news/2001/feb/15mani1.htm | publisher=Rediff | title= Koijam sworn in Manipur CM | agency=PTI | date=15 February 2001 | accessdate=3 December 2021 }} The government was, however, short-lived. The coalition he was leading fell in May of the same year.[http://www.himalmag.com/september2001/report.html Himal South Asian-August-2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407212128/http://www.himalmag.com/september2001/report.html |date=7 April 2008 }}{{cite news | url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010602/edit.htm | newspaper=The Tribune | location=Chandigarh, India | title=Message from Manipur | date=2 June 2001 | accessdate=3 December 2021 }}

In the 1999 Loksabha election, Samata Party was in an informal alliance with the Lok Shakti and the Janata Dal(U). A proposal to merge the three into a single party was called off in January 2000 by George Fernandes who said the party would contest in the 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly election on its own.{{cite news | url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2000/jan/06jdu.htm | title=Samata Party breaks away from JD (U) | publisher=Rediff | date=6 January 2000 | agency=UNI | accessdate=3 December 2021 }}

= 2003 Split and merger with JD (U) =

In October 2003, George Fernandes, the president of the Samata Party, announced that the party would be completely merging with the Janata Dal (United).{{cite web | title=Fernandes to head Janata Dal (United) | url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2003/10/31/stories/2003103104371100.htm | author=Gargi Parsai | date=31 October 2003 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204034133/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2003/10/31/stories/2003103104371100.htm | archive-date=4 February 2012 | work=The Hindu | df=dmy-all }} The Janata Dal (United) was part of the ruling coalition in the National Democratic Alliance.

Samata Party Member of parliament (Lok Sabha) Brahmanand Mandal was opposed to the merger split with the other members. Mandal was the leader of the minority faction opposing the merger. Since all the members did not support the official merge, and Brahmanand's faction challenged the merger of the party in front of ECI, the merger wasn't officially recognized by the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission of India decided that the merger was not technically complete and so a faction was allowed to function under the Samata Party name.{{cite news |title=EC rejects merger of JD-U, Samata Party |url=https://www.rediff.com/election/2004/mar/20ec.htm |access-date=1 October 2022 |work=rediff.com |date=20 March 2004}}

Party leader Sharad Yadav, said that the ECI decision would have no effect on his merger plans as all candidates of Samata Party would be contesting the upcoming 2004 Lok Sabha election as candidate of Janata Dal United on the election symbol of Arrow.{{Cite web |title=BBCHindi |url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/regionalnews/story/2004/03/printable/040320_politics_delhi |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.bbc.com}}

Most members of the party merged with JDU as proposed however a small faction of Samata Party continued using the name Samata party under the leadership of Brahmanand Mandal.{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20110427160033/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/03/21/stories/2004032104480801.htm "EC recognises old Samata Party"]}}, The Hindu (Sunday, 21 March 2004)

= Samata Party after 2004 =

In the 2009 general elections for the 14th Lok Sabha (2009-2014), it had contested in 11 seats and was defeated in all of them. It had secured a total of 31324 votes which was only 0.02 percent of the total number of votes cast in that state.{{cite web|title=PERFORMANCE OF GENERAL ELECTIONS - INDIA, 2009 - REGISTERED (UNRECOGNISED) PARTIES & INDEPENDENTS|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2009/Stats/VOLI/14_PerformanceOfRegistered_UnRecognisedParties.pdf|publisher=Election Commission of India|year=2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926021554/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2009/Stats/VOLI/14_PerformanceOfRegistered_UnRecognisedParties.pdf|archive-date=26 September 2012|df=dmy-all}}

For the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, the Samata Party decided to forgo any alliance, stating that it would not ally with the Congress.{{cite web |url=http://www.jagran.com/bihar/muzaffarpur-10237767.html |title=कांग्रेस से गठबंधन नहीं करेगी समता पार्टी 10237767 |access-date=2013-06-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214024456/http://www.jagran.com/bihar/muzaffarpur-10237767.html |archive-date=14 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }}

Due to the departure of all the bigwigs from the Samata Party to Janata Dal (United), the party started shrinking gradually. Due to its poor election performance, it began to lose popularity and was almost on the verge of closure. In 2020, the leadership of the party was given to Uday Mandal, he started restructuring it.{{Cite web |title=दिल्ली HC ने शिवसेना धड़े को मशाल चुनाव चिह्न आवंटित किए जाने के खिलाफ समता पार्टी की याचिका खारिज की |url=https://www.jagran.com/delhi/new-delhi-city-ncr-delhi-high-court-dismisses-samata-partys-plea-against-allotment-of-torch-symbol-to-shiv-sena-23179681.html |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Dainik Jagran |language=hi}}

File:Samata Party President Uday Mandal Press Conference at Patna in 20 December 2022 to call Luv Kush Equation.jpg

File:Samata Party Rally Patna.jpg

File:George Fernandes death anniversary.jpg

=Fernandes return in Samata Party in 2007=

In 2007, George Fernandes left JD(U) and joined Samata Party along with their supporters, JD(U) general secretary and spokesman Shiv Kumar and senior leader Aneel Hegde, several other leaders and workers from various states left the JD(U) to join the Samata Party on the occasion. These included the Gujarat party unit president Praveensinh Jadeja, Andhra Pradesh unit chief Narasimha Reddy, Uttarakhand party chief Anurag Kumar and suspended party MLA from Bihar Chhedi Paswan. Also present on the occasion was former MP Brahmanand Mandal, the current president of Samata Party who had refused to join the JD(U) at the time of merger.{{Cite web |date=2007-01-22 |title=Fernandes' supporters bid to revive Samata |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/fernandes-supporters-bid-to-revive-samata/story-AtAiLKzMBTLJEzuBhxjZSI.html |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2007-02-14 |title=George may attend Samata convention |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/george-may-attend-samata-convention/ |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}

Ideology

The party follows a socialist ideology; in particular, that of Ram Manohar Lohia.{{cite web|title=Samata Party|url=http://samataparty.com/|publisher=Samata Party|access-date=8 May 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617054409/http://samataparty.com/|archive-date=17 June 2013|df=dmy-all}}

Electoral performances

= Lok Sabha (Lower House) =

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

style="background:#00f;"

! Lok Sabha Term

! Indian
General Election

! Seats
contested

! Seats
won

! No. of
votes

! %.of votes in
seats contested

11th Lok Sabha

| 1996

| 81

| 8

| 72,56,086

| 2.2%

12th Lok Sabha

| 1998

| 57

| 12

| 64,91,639

| 1.8%

14th Lok Sabha

| 2004

| 40

| 0

| 2,01,276

| 0.1%

15th Lok Sabha

| 2009

| 11

| 0

| 0.0%

16th Lok Sabha

| 2014

| 10

| 0

| 0.0%

18th Lok Sabha

| 2024

| 22

| 0

| 73318

| 0.01%

= Vidhan Sabha (Lower House) =

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

style="background:#00f;"

! Vidhan Sabha Term

! State

!
elections

! Seats
contested

! Seats
won

! % of
votes

! Party Votes

11th Assembly

| Bihar

| 1995

| 310

| 7

| 24,40,275

| 7.1%

12th Assembly

| Bihar

| 2000

| 120

| 34

| 32,05,746

| 8.7%

7th Assembly

| Manipur

| 1995

| 23

| 2

| 70,887

| 6.2%

8th Assembly

| Manipur

| 2000

| 36

| 1

| 84,215

| 6.7%

9th Assembly

| Manipur

| 2005

| 31

| 3

| 1,09,912

| 8.3%

| Nagaland

| 2003

| 4

| 1

| 10,456

| 1.2%

| Jharkhand

| 2019

| 1

| 0

| 0.1

| Bihar

| 2020

| 10

| 0

| 0.1

| Tamil Nadu

| 2021

| 1

| 0

| 0.1

| Haryana

| 2024

| 3

| 0

| 0.1

| Jharkhand

| 2024

| 4

| 0

| 0.1

| Maharashtra

| 2020

| 9

| 0

| 0.1

| Delhi

| 2025

| 2

| 0

| 0.1

List of chief ministers

class="wikitable"
No ! Name {{small\|Constituency}} ! colspan=2\| Term of office ! Tenure length ! Party ! State ! Assembly
1 \| Nitish Kumar \| 3 March 2000 \| 10 March 2000 \| {{age in years and days\|2000\|03\|03\|2000\|03\|10}} \| style="background-color:{{party color\|Samata Party}}" \| Samata Party \| Bihar \| 12th Assembly
2 \| Radhabinod Koijam \| 15 February 2001 \| 1 June 2001 \| {{age in years and days\|2001\|02\|15\|2001\|06\|01}} \| style="background-color:{{party color\|Samata Party}}" \| Samata Party \| Manipur \| 8th Assembly

class="wikitable"

! Name
{{small|Constituency}}

! colspan=2| Term of office

! Tenure length

! Party

! State

! Assembly

| Nitish Kumar

| 3 March 2000

| 10 March 2000

| {{age in years and days|2000|03|03|2000|03|10}}

| style="background-color:{{party color|Samata Party}}" | Samata Party

| Bihar

| 12th Assembly

| Radhabinod Koijam

| 15 February 2001

| 1 June 2001

| {{age in years and days|2001|02|15|2001|06|01}}

| style="background-color:{{party color|Samata Party}}" | Samata Party

| Manipur

| 8th Assembly

Symbol crisis

The Election Commission of India allotted the "Flaming Torch" symbol to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the Samata Party raise objection against it.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-12 |title=Dispute over new symbol of Uddhav Shiv Sena, Samata Party files complaint |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/dispute-over-new-symbol-of-uddhav-shiv-sena-samata-party-files-complaint-101665598941570.html |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} A petition filed in Delhi High Court, Samata Party through Uday Kr Mandal its President vs Election Commission of India.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-14 |title=Samata Party to move Delhi HC against Thackeray faction's 'flaming torch' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/samata-party-to-move-delhi-hc-against-thackeray-faction-s-flaming-torch-101665771404653.html |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Unnati |date=2022-10-15 |title=Samata Party moves Delhi HC against mashaal symbol for Uddhav Sena, claims it as own |url=https://theprint.in/politics/samata-party-moves-delhi-hc-against-mashaal-symbol-for-uddhav-sena-claims-it-as-own/1169257/ |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}} A single bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula dismissed the case, Samata party appeal in double bench of Judges.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-15 |title=ठाकरे गटाच्या चिन्हाला आव्हान; दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालयात याचिका |url=https://www.lokmat.com/national/challenge-to-shiv-sena-uddhav-thackeray-group-election-symbol-samta-party-petition-in-delhi-high-court-a719/ |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=LOKMAT |language=mr}} Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramontium Prasad again dismissed that appeal.{{Cite web |title=Delhi HC rejects Samata Party's plea challenging ECI's allotment of 'Flaming Torch' to Thackeray faction |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/delhi-hc-rejects-samata-partys-plea-challenging-ecis-allotment-of-flaming-torch-to-thackeray-faction20221019151931/ |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=ANI News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-10-19 |title=Delhi HC Rejects Plea by Samata Party Against Flaming Torch Election Symbol to Sena Faction |url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/delhi-hc-rejects-plea-by-samata-party-against-flaming-torch-election-symbol-to-sena-faction-6197659.html |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=News18 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Delhi HC dismisses Samata Party appeal challenging ECI decision on allotment of symbol 'Flaming Torch' |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/delhi-hc-dismisses-samata-party-appeal-challenging-eci-decision-on-allotment-of-symbol-flaming-torch20221103160249/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=ANI News |language=en}} In Uttar Pradesh Local Body Election 2022, Samata Party got their symbol, now the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Samata Party both have the "Flaming Torch or Mashal".{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Unnati |date=2022-12-03 |title=After reclaiming mashaal for UP civic polls, Samata Party says will move SC for old symbol |url=https://theprint.in/politics/after-reclaiming-mashaal-for-up-civic-polls-samata-party-says-will-move-sc-for-old-symbol/1246815/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}