Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, in Kolkata and Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow as he stepped up his efforts to unite opposition parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.
Kumar, a leader of the Janata Dal (United), along with Bihar deputy chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav met Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Banerjee at the state secretariat for nearly an hour for stitching a coalition of opposition parties.
Speaking to reporters later, the Bihar chief minister lauded the work of the Bengal government. “We held talks. We were in touch earlier too. I used to frequently come here. For a few years, I couldn’t come. I am very happy to have come here and meet her. I saw how much development she has made,” he said.
The JD(U) leader also urged all opposition parties to hold talks to decide on the future roa dmap. “Nothing is being done for India’s development, those ruling are only interested in their own advertisement,” he said, in an apparent reference to the BJP at the Centre.
Banerjee, who also spoke to the media, said opposition parties must unite to send a strong message to the BJP ahead of next year’s crucial elections.
{{/usCountry}}Banerjee, who also spoke to the media, said opposition parties must unite to send a strong message to the BJP ahead of next year’s crucial elections.
{{/usCountry}}“I was telling Nitish ji if all parties can try and hold a meeting in Bihar. First, (to hold) a homely meeting. Later, we can decide on where to go, where not to go, the manifesto etc. But first, we need to send a message that we are together,” she said.
Banerjee also said that Kumar and Tejashwi’s parties have sent a strong message to the BJP by deciding to work together. The JD(U) in August last year had called off its alliance with the BJP to once again form the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance with the RJD and some other parties.
A meeting of Congress, JD(U) and RJD leaders in the national capital earlier this month set off speculation that the BJP will have to face, in the 2024 polls, a coalition of parties that have also been political adversaries. Kumar had also met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi to build a united opposition platform. The BJP, however, dismissed the opposition’s bid to stall the party’s electoral juggernaut as futile.
Banerjee, too, has been pitching for opposition unity. She held similar meetings with Akhilesh Yadav and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik last month. She also met former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy.
After meeting the Bengal chief minister, Kumar and Yadav immediately left for Lucknow to meet Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.
“I am not in the race for leadership. There will be a leader when all come together. I am working to bring all of them together. Others will decide a leader. Our endeavour will be to bring the opposition parties together and this will be beneficial and in the interest of the country,” Kumar told reporters in Lucknow.
Akhilesh extended his support to the Bihar chief minister. “The farmers and labourers are facing problems due to wrong economic policies of the BJP government. Inflation and unemployment have risen. We are with you (Nitish Kumar) in ousting the BJP from power to save the country,” he said.
Both in Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, BJP leaders said the efforts of the opposition parties would not yield results.
“We had seen such efforts in 2014 and 2019, and the results are before us. These are futile exercises which will not yield any result. The people of this country trust the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Bengal BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said: “No matter who meets whom, one thing is certain that the land of Lord Ram with 80 Lok Sabha seats and that of Goddess Sita with 40 Lok Sabha seats would ensure that BJP wins all 120 Lok Sabha seats as people realise that all these are opportunistic alliances. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working tirelessly for the poor and draws strength from them and their blessings.”