‘Remain united to defeat BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections’: Nitish to opposition

JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh claimed that Kumar’s model of good governance was being adopted by the centre

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar while addressing an open session of the Janata Dal (United) national council here in Patna on Sunday said the opposition parties can win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with an ‘overwhelming majority’ if they agree to join hands with each other.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (HT Photo)

“Everyone should remain united. If we remain united, we will win maximum seats in 2024. We don’t want the third front. Ours will be the main front,” he said.

Nitish has been projected as the Prime Minister candidate by his party leaders.

Undaunted by the defeat at the Kurhani by-polls, Kumar on Sunday said that ‘Mission 2024 meant to dislodge BJP government at the centre’ will be possible only if the opposition is united.

Addressing the open session of the national council, Kumar told party workers that he was not interested in a by-poll “but the other alliance partners wanted us to contest. They (BJP) lost at several places but a hue and cry is being made over our loss.”

Levelling allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for working against his party, Kumar said that BJP was working against the JD(U) despite being in an alliance in the 2020 assembly elections.

“During the 2020 assembly elections, our party won fewer seats. Despite having an alliance, the ally (BJP) was busy ensuring our defeat. Never before our party has won such a low number of seats in the 2005 or 2010 assembly elections. We suffered in 2020 as the BJP tried to ensure the defeat of our candidates,” he said.

Despite being an alliance party, the BJP engineered defections in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, said Nitish, adding “All these made us move out. They will be taught a lesson in the next elections.”

The Bihar chief minister once again raised the bogey of special status and rejected the idea of population policy. He advocated that the education of women would go a long way in controlling the population. Under the BJP rule, “..nothing is happening for the development of backward states,” he alleged.

Kumar also replied to demands being raised from his own alliance for having a re-look at prohibition (on liquor) and made it clear that there was going to be no rollback on it.

JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh claimed that Kumar’s model of good governance was being adopted by the centre.

“The nation is being hurtled towards authoritarianism. The government at the centre has done nothing worthwhile in the eight and a half years it has been at the helm,” alleged Lalan.