"The merger of the Dal, Lok Shakti and Samata Party is transparent. The Dal will be a part of NDA of which Vajpayee is the Prime Ministerial candidate," Paswan told reporters here.

He also said since the election process was on, a formal merger of the three parties could not be brought about before its completion but the candidates of the three parties would contest the elections on the Dal's symbol "wheel" and use a common flag.

The Janata Dal leader also admitted that coming together of Samata, Lok Shakti and the Dal was "essentially a political compulsion".

"Whatever we have done is absolutely transparent and there is no cause for any anxiety or suspicion about our inclination to fight corruption, strengthen democracy and oppose a woman of foreign origin to become Prime Minister," Paswan said.