New Delhi : The last vestige of the Janata Party, formed in the aftermath of Emergency, was silently buried on Sunday with Subramanian Swamy announcing his party’s merger with the BJP.

Making the announcement in the presence of BJP president Rajnath Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and the former BJP chief, Nitin Gadkari, Mr. Swamy said his decision was borne by need for unity for nation building. For Mr. Swamy, it was a reunion after almost four decades as pointed out by the BJP president that the former was a member of the Jana Sangh and that his decision to merge with the BJP would be a benefiting factor. He welcomed the merger and the “return” of Mr. Swamy into the BJP fold. The process of merger was thrashed out at a meeting of senior BJP leaders at the residence of Mr. Singh who said unity was imperative in national interest.

Mr. Swamy said the country was passing through difficult times, and maintained he would work for the BJP and help build a better future for the nation in the months to come.

An economist, Mr. Swamy has been a member of both Houses of Parliament and served as a Cabinet Minister and Planning Commission member.