Nitish holds meetings with Cong, AAP on Oppn unity

The meetings assume importance because they mark initial steps towards creating some understanding between Opposition parties in taking on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi/ Patna: Fledgling efforts to build a united Opposition platform ahead of the 2024 general elections got a boost on Wednesday with two high-profile political meetings in Delhi, the first between leaders of Bihar’s ruling grand alliance government, and the second between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal.

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Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi at Kharge’s residence in Delhi, and later declared that the parties had decided to contest the upcoming polls together while bringing more Opposition parties into this fold.

“We held a historic meeting here. A lot of issues were discussed and we decided to unite all parties and fight all the upcoming polls in a united manner. We have made this decision and all of us will work on this path,” Kharge told reporters.

However, information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday rejected these efforts, terming the alliance a “thugbandhan” (coalition of thugs) of parties who are in neck-deep in corruption.

“People are aware that these parties have no common policies or ideology and make false promises to win elections. Such experiments had failed in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” he told the media in Shimla.

Kumar, who first initiated the move last September last year, said that efforts would be made to include the maximum number of Opposition parties.

“We had a detailed discussion today. Initially, the effort would be to unite maximum Opposition parties, have a first round of talk and see who all agree,” he added.

“In this battle of ideology, a historic step has been taken today towards the unity of the Opposition. Standing together, we will fight together - for India,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi and shared his picture with other leaders.

Later in the day, Kejriwal met Yadav and Kumar at the latter’s residence in Delhi, and extended his support for the cause of opposition unity.

“The country is passing through a very difficult time. This is perhaps the most corrupt government at the Centre since Independence…so, it is extremely necessary that the entire Opposition and the country come together and change the government at the Centre,” Kejriwal said.

The meetings assume importance because they mark initial steps towards creating some understanding between Opposition parties in taking on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which are just a year away. This is also the first time that the Aam Aadmi Party, which has clashed with the Congress publicly in the past, has expressed willingness to work towards Opposition unity. Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress run a coalition government in Bihar.

But the leaders dodged questions on leadership and possible prime ministerial face – an issue that has nixed similar efforts to build opposition unity in the past.

One person present in the meeting said on the condition of anonymity that there was ‘’chemistry’’ between the various parties, which is why the meeting lasted for over 90 minutes. However, it was too soon to decide on the PM face. ‘’It simply did not come up today,’’ said the person, on condition of anonymity.

Kejriwal, too, parried the question of leadership. Asked if Kumar could be a PM candidate, the Delhi CM said, “You will have many questions in your mind which cannot be answered right now after just one meeting. As we move forward, we will keep answering your questions.”

Kumar – who is on four-day tour of Delhi – is scheduled to meet leaders of other political parties in the next two days. The leaders had lunch at Kharge’s residence, where JD(U) president Lalan Singh, Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Congress leader Salman Khurshid and RJD leader Manoj Jha were also present.

The reason for Gandhi’s attendance at the meeting, a second person attending the event said, was because of his Bharat Jodo Yatra and the role his recent disqualification from the Lok Sabha played in forging Opposition unity.

‘’Let’s not forget how strongly Arvind Kejriwal responded to that,’’ the second person said, adding, “It was a very important moment for Opposition unity. So, what’s going to happen now is that each of us will go and talk to our allies. Nitish ji will talk to some, Kharge ji will talk to some and like that, we will involve all. We cannot wait anymore, time is now.’’

Gandhi was stripped of his Lok Sabha membership after getting convicted in a criminal defamation case for a comment made ahead of the 2019 general elections. He has challenged the verdict.

Last month, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had also spoken about the need for Opposition unity, and met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik.