Delhi: Nitish Kumar meets Rahul Gandhi, Kharge to unite opposition
What's the story
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav met with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Wednesday in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. The meeting was reportedly held to strengthen the opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. During his three-day visit, Kumar is expected to meet Sonia Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, among others.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Kumar's meeting with Congress leaders came after Kharge invited him to the national capital during a telephone conversation. Notably, this is Kumar's second attempt to build opposition unity against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after his first attempt failed in 2022. He had met with many opposition leaders in the national capital last August; however, the meetings failed to provide the intended results.
Details
Nitish Kumar meets RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav
Soon after arriving, Kumar met Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and expressed solidarity with his family, which is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged land-for-jobs scam. Reportedly, Kumar wants to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate in the 2024 elections. However, he is yet to get support from any opposition party against PM Narendra Modi.
Kumar
We will try to unite many political parties: Kumar
During Kumar's meeting with the leaders of the Congress, he stated that they would work to unite as many political parties as possible and move forward together. Gandhi also expressed a similar objective, stating, "This is a historic step to unite the opposition. We will develop the vision of the opposition parties and move forward; we will all stand together for the country."
Statement
JD(U)'s Tyagi terms visit crucial for united opposition
Meanwhile, Janata Dal-United leader KC Tyagi termed Kumar's visit a "crucial" and "long-awaited" one. "We are happy Kharge made the first move, it is now time to set the ball rolling," he said. The JD(U) leader said that Kumar had already given a subtle message to regional parties to forget their differences for the bigger cause when he forged an alliance with the RJD.
Facts
Kumar's 2022 pitch for united front against BJP
To recall, in February, Kumar stated that a "united front" could reduce the BJP to less than 100 seats. He was speaking at the 11th general convention of the CPI(ML-L), which has lent its support to the Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar. Kumar also visited Delhi in September of last year, where he met NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Kejriwal, and Akhilesh Yadav, among others.