The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, is making efforts to unite the opposition forces against the BJP-led government at the Centre. He recently met with West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, in Kolkata, after visiting the national capital to meet with Congress national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, and former MP, Rahul Gandhi. Nitish Kumar is also expected to meet with Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow.
Rahul Gandhi hailed the meeting as a “historic step” towards opposition unity and for an “ideological fight”. He posted a picture of himself with Kharge, as well as JDU and RJD leaders, saying they are “standing together, will fight together for India”.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, and Janata Dal-United president, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, were also present at the meeting held at Kharge’s residence. Mamata Banerjee is also leaving no stone unturned in closing ranks with other parties ahead of the 2024 polls, as she met Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav, at her residence in Kolkata last month.
Nitish Kumar has been making headlines lately, following remarks made by Bihar BJP chief, Samrat Choudhary, at a party event. Choudhary mentioned that it is time for the party workers of the BJP to take revenge and end the political career of Nitish Kumar after he ditched the BJP for RJD. In response, Nitish Kumar said that if Choudhary is saying such things, he should do it. He added that those who use such words have no brains and can do whatever they want.
Choudhary had claimed that Nitish Kumar had taken U-turns after U-turns, while the BJP never does so. He also said that if the BJP had not supported Lalu Prasad Yadav in his earlier days, he would not have become the messiah for the poor as he claims. Choudhary went on to say that Nitish Kumar had repeatedly ditched the BJP, despite assurances given by the Prime Minister that he would remain the Chief Minister of Bihar.
The meetings between Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav come at a time when the opposition is attempting to unite and present a united front against the BJP-led government. The 2024 elections are fast approaching, and it remains to be seen whether these efforts will pay off in the polls.