In a bid to strengthen Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Thursday met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.
Mr. Kumar said “whatever the ruling BJP is doing is not in the interest of the country”. He stressed the need for Opposition parties to work together and stand united in the interest of the nation, which will yield good results while taking on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Kumar along with his deputy Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav met the Sena (UBT) leader at ‘Matoshree’, the Thackerays’ private residence in Bandra, and they later called on Mr. Pawar at his Silver Oak bungalow.
“If we [Opposition parties] fight together, there will be success and the country will head in the right direction,” Mr. Kumar said after meeting Mr. Thackeray.
The JD(U) leader further said there should be no dispute and everyone should stay united in the interest of the country.
When asked if the NCP patriarch will be the main face of the Opposition, Mr. Kumar said that there will be nothing more delightful than that, and added that he told Mr. Pawar to work with more strength not only for NCP but for the entire country.
Mr. Pawar stated that looking at the current condition of the country, it is important to work together to “save democracy”.
“As per my information, BJP is going to lose Karnataka Assembly election. This is not limited to Karnataka, this is the situation in large parts of the country. I am happy that Nitish ji has taken up a mission to fulfil what is needed today,” he said.
Reacting to the meetings of Mr. Kumar, Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary said, “As I had said earlier, he is going everywhere for tea and breakfast. Let him roam around because he cannot handle his own State. Today he visited the Durbar of Shiv Sena, I want to ask him whether Shiv Sena is communal or not. Shiv Sena is the same party which always attacks people from Bihar in Mumbai. Nitish ji was completely exposed in Odisha when his counterpart, CM Naveen Patnaik, said no political discussions took place between them.”
He further said, “Nitish ji was able to meet Rahul Gandhi because of Lalu Prasad. It was the Rashtriya Janata Dal [RJD] supremo who requested Mr. Gandhi to meet him. Wherever Nitish ji is going, a Yuvraj [Tejashwi Yadav] is also accompanying him. Do you know why? The reason is Mr. Nitish is a ‘memory-loss CM’ and tends to forget half of what he speaks. The most important aspect is that he will switch sides any time. Even the leaders who are meeting him know his character very well so it is tough to trust him.”
RJD spokesperson Mirtunjay Tiwari said, ”BJP has become Bimar Janata Party and people have lost trust in its leaders. They are masters in creating hatred in society on communal lines. Our leader Tejashwi ji and CM Nitish ji are making an honest effort to unite the Opposition at the national level. What is the harm in that... if all the Opposition parties come under one room to defeat the dividing forces? I must say that once the Opposition is united, the BJP would be rooted out of power in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.”
