PATNA: JD(U) leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday called for forming a “main front” of all non-BJP opposition parties from across the country, instead of the so-called “third front”, to give a befitting contest to the saffron party-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and said that the decision on the leadership of the “main front” could be taken later.
Asked about the possibility of a non-BJP and non-Congress “third front”, which was experimented with in the previous elections, Nitish categorically said, “If a front has to be made, it will be the main front, not the third front.”
Talking to reporters in Delhi after he wrapped up his meetings with several opposition leaders during his three-day trip to the national capital since September 5, the JD(U)’s de facto leader also said, “A clear-cut understanding between the Congress, the Left parties, all regional parties with socialist background and others will be in national interest. If all political parties in different states, who are not in the BJP-led alliance, come together, then a positive atmosphere will emerge in the country for forming the ‘main front’.”
The Bihar CM met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, INLD president Om Prakash Chautala and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mulayam’s son & former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav on Monday and Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he called on NCP president Sharad Pawar and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya in the national capital. In the evening, Nitish called on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar as part of ‘courtesy visit’ as it was the Bihar CM’s first visit to Delhi after election of the country’s new president and vice president, and also after forming a new government in Bihar.
After meeting Pawar at his 6, Janpath residence, Nitish told reporters, “It is important that all political parties which are not part of the BJP-led alliance, come together at one platform. A leader of the non-BJP alliance can be decided later.”
Nitish also said he would come to Delhi again, at least for a day, to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has been travelling abroad for personal reasons.
“The response of all the leaders to whom I met was very good. Congress response was too good,” Nitish told the reporters.
Nitish, who last month dumped the BJP and formed a new government in alliance with the RJD-Congress-Left parties in Bihar, also said that his former ally BJP’s seats in different elections in the state increased because of his party’s support and the saffron party would taste a real contest in the next Lok Sabha election. “BJP will get to know its real strength in Bihar in the next election,” he said.
Responding to a query, Nitish also attacked his former party colleague and political strategist Prashant Kishor, who recently said that the JD(U) leader’s decision to switch alliance will have a regional and not national impact and described him a ‘publicity expert’. “Does he (Prashant) know how much work has been done in Bihar since 2005,” the Bihar CM asked.
Nitish also wondered that Prashant might be working to help the BJP secretly. “His statements have no meaning as he knew nothing about Bihar,” the JD(U) leader said.
“I met leaders of many parties in Delhi in the last three days and many of them thanked me for coming out of the NDA. Everyone wishes that there should be unity among opposition parties in every state and such an atmosphere will be created in the country in the coming days,” Bihar CM said after meeting CPI-ML (Liberation) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharyya at the latter’s office in Shakarpur area in the national capital.
