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Nitish to arrive in New Delhi today with focus on uniting Opposition

By, Patna
Sep 05, 2022 02:08 AM IST

Speaking at the Janata Dal (United) national council meeting in Patna, Kumar took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming the former alliance partner considers those with it “sadachari” (people with good conduct) and those who speak against its policies “bhrashtachari” (corrupt), a JD(U) functionary familiar with the developments said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said he would meet senior leaders from various parties during his trip to New Delhi starting Monday to work out a plan to put up a united Opposition by burying differences.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said he would meet senior leaders from various parties during his trip to New Delhi. (HT File)
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said he would meet senior leaders from various parties during his trip to New Delhi. (HT File)

Speaking at the Janata Dal (United) national council meeting in Patna, Kumar took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming the former alliance partner considers those with it “sadachari” (people with good conduct) and those who speak against its policies “bhrashtachari” (corrupt), a JD(U) functionary familiar with the developments said.

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Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kumar said: “I don’t give any numbers, but a united opposition, burying small differences, will certainly deliver tremendous success.”

He was replying to a question about his statement at the national executive meeting a day ago, when he claimed the BJP would be confined to around 50 seats in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Also read: BJP can be sent packing with 50 seats in 2024 if..: Nitish at crucial JD(U) meet

Kumar said during his stay in Delhi likely from September 5-8, he would also call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

“Leaders of four of the seven parties in the Bihar’s ruling coalition are also in Delhi,” he said. “The effort is to unite the Opposition, which is important for 2024.”

He sounded confident that a united Opposition can oust the BJP from power at the Centre.

During the two-day national executive and national council meetings of the party that concluded on Sunday, the JD(U) authorised the Bihar chief minister to work for the larger opposition unity across the country to take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

“The CM told the national council members that there can never be any alliance with the BJP, while dwelling on the reasons that compelled him to sever ties in August for the second time,” JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi told reporters after the meeting. “Kumar also spoke about the way the BJP conspired in 2020 (assembly elections) to weaken the JD(U) through Chirag Paswan formula. He also said the country is anxiously waiting for an alternative to BJP’s misrule.”

Tyagi said Kumar will also meet leaders from around six regional parties besides those from the Congress in Delhi.

Noting that some leaders like Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao want a non-BJP and non-Congress front, Tyagi said the JD(U) does not agree with this. He added that the Congress being in the fold is necessary for a viable alliance against the BJP. The Congress is part of the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar.

JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan, alias Lalan Singh, meanwhile alleged that senior BJP leader and Union home minister Amit Shah’s proposed visit to Bihar later this month was aimed at disturbing communal harmony in the state.

“It will not make any impact,” he told reporters, claiming the grand alliance will win all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in 2024.

In its two-day meeting, the JD(U) passed two resolutions related to political situation in the country. The party has charged the BJP-led Union government with imposing an “undeclared emergency” in the country, and stoking “communal frenzy” in society. It also accused the BJP of having “authoritarian” tendencies and destabilising non-BJP governments in several states, including Delhi and Jharkhand besides Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra earlier.

“Prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing and farmers, struggling for seeds and fertilisers, not getting even the support price,” said a statement from the JD(U). “Due to growing financial constraints, they are committing suicide and when they protest, they have to face life-threatening attacks, as was seen in Lakhimpur Kheri in which the son of a BJP minister is involved.”

“Growing intolerance and sectarianism were apparent in more ways than one to derive mileage under a conspiracy, while there was no plan to tackle increasing poverty and unemployment,” it said. “The economy suffered irreparable damage since demonetisation, while rupee has reached its lowest level against dollar, but people are still being taken for a ride through rhetoric about India becoming Vishwa Guru.”

Also read: JD(U) authorises Nitish to work for Oppn unity as 2-day party conclave ends

The JD(U) also attacked the BJP for “selling public sector undertakings” to “favourite capitalists, who are being benefited by cut in corporate tax from 30% to 18% despite increase in income”. This, the party said, has “caused a loss of around 3 lakh crore to the exchequer in the last three years, while 1 lakh crore loan of banks has been written off”.

The party also questioned the Centre’s armed forces recruitment drive, the Agnipath scheme, calling it a security risk for the country. “What kind of modernisation of forces is this? Those who ask questions are branded ‘Urban Naxals’, and the right to dissent is being viewed as treason to silence the Opposition voice. Central agencies are being used as weapons by the Centre to create an atmosphere of undeclared emergency in the country,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal on Sunday mocked chief minister Nitish Kumar, claiming he was “no longer taken seriously by people”.

In a Facebook post, without mentioning Kumar or JD(U) by name, Jaiswal said “the bluster of bundling out BJP for 50 seats out of nearly 540 in Parliament is ridiculous (hasyaspad)”.

Jaiswal insisted that the JD(U) was “not able to stand on its feet 28 years after establishment” and recounted the 2014 Lok Sabha polls which it fought alone and ended up “forfeiting deposits in 36 out of 40 seats”.

(With agency inputs)

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues.

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