Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to skip INLD rally on Sept 25

Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar has decided not to attend an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) rally called by leader Om Prakash Chautala in Jind September 25 owing to “flood and Covid-19 situation in Bihar”, said party officials on Saturday

Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar has decided not to attend an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) rally called by leader Om Prakash Chautala in Jind September 25 owing to “flood and Covid-19 situation in Bihar”, said party officials on Saturday.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (HT FIle)

The rally has been organised to commemorate the birthday of former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal.

Ruling out the CM’s participation in the rally, JD(U) national president and Lok Sabha MP from Munger, Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh, said, “Nitish Kumar will not take part in Devi Lal’s anniversary function on September 25 due to floods, and to review measures taken to combat the probable third wave of Covid-19 pandemic.” Singh, who was talking to media persons at the party office, however, confirmed that the CM was invited.

On Friday, the JD(U) president said that he was not aware of Kumar’s participation in the rally.

The rally has been organized with a larger motive of exploring the possibility of a Third Front ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2024. CM Kumar had met Chautala at his residence in Gurgaon on August. Chautala had said ahead of the meeting,“I will reach out to all Opposition parties. My aim is to unite all political forces opposed to this corrupt government at the Centre and stitch a robust third front. I will visit all states in the next one month.”

Chautala has extended invites for the same to several prominent leaders including Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Prime Minister and JDS leader HD Deve Gowda, SAD supremo Prakash Singh Badal, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.