Patna, May 19: JDU president Sharad Yadav today claimed that the Janata parivar splinters had already merged into one outfit, a day after chief minister Nitish Kumar asserted that there was no technical glitch involved in the merger.

"The Janata parivar factions have merged. Mulayam Singh Yadav is the president of the new outfit. The parivar will contest the Assembly elections in the state as one outfit," Sharad today told reporters.

Sharad is here to attend the wedding ceremony of the daughter of Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary.

On the remarks of senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav about the "technical obstacles" on the way of the merger ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, Sharad said: "I shall not react on what some leaders have said. Mulayam has been authorised to speak on such issues."

Despite Sharad and Nitish asserting that the merger was a "done thing", the cloud of uncertainty still hovered over the reunion process in the wake of Ram Gopal's statement. The JDU and RJD cadres are clueless about Mulayam's studied silence over the statement of his brother and senior SP leader (Ram Gopal) ruling out the possibility of the merger ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

"Ram Gopal had issued the statement ruling out the possibility of the merger on May 11. The SP leadership, led by Mulayam, has neither supported nor rejected Ram Gopal's remarks even after a week. Nitish yesterday suggested Mulayam to call a meeting of the seven-member committee to decide on the future course of action. But Mulayam so far is mum," said a senior RJD leader, adding that Mulayam's silence had aggravated the uncertainty.

RJD boss Lalu Prasad, who anointed Mulayam as the president of the new outfit in New Delhi on April 15 is also subdued on the issue. Despite Nitish and Sharad gunning for the merger, Lalu has remained silent in the past couple of days.