Nitish hints at Oppn unity meet after K’taka polls

Patna: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has hinted at organising a meeting of Opposition parties in Patna after the Karnataka Assembly elections to chalk out plans against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

He said as the functionaries of many political parties are currently engaged in electioneering in Karnataka, the first meeting of the Opposition politicians would be convened only after the elections in the southern state get over. The counting of votes in Karnataka is on May 13.

The Bihar CM, along with his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, recently met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and called upon former UP CM and Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav to discuss Opposition unity. It was Banerjee who suggested that Kumar should consider organising a meeting of the Opposition parties in Patna. Speculation is also rife that RJD chief Lalu Yadav may play an important role in organising an Opposition meeting in Patna after the Karnataka polls are over.

Hours after Yadav landed in Patna on Friday, Kumar met him at Rabri Devi’s residence. It is not known what transpired during the meeting, but sources aware of the development said that both leaders discussed issues related to the formation of a larger grand alliance at the national level to take on the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.