Acting on the advice of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar will invite all opposition leaders for a meeting to Patna next month.
Meeting likely to be in Patna
Speaking to reporters in Patna on Saturday, Nitish said, “Since all opposition leaders are engaged in assembly election in Karnataka, talks resumed on April 27 have been halted. Once the Karnataka election is over, we may meet in Patna.”
The Bihar CM said, “I have been meeting opposition leaders in Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow in recent days to unite the opposition parties against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. But the consultation is still pending. Will meet other leaders after the May 10 Karnataka election.”
Nitish met RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav at 10, Circular Road bungalow of the former chief minister Rabri Devi and discussed the opposition unity. He got the former railway minister's green light to discuss the opposition unity with other national and major regional parties.
Development after Mamata's request
On April 27, Nitish met TMC President Mamta Banerjee in continuation of his opposition unity campaign. The West Bengal CM advised him to convene a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna as Jayaprakash Narayan had started his movement against then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1974. The students' movement had started at Patna on March 18, 1974.
Nitish also met Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow the same day.
During his visit to Delhi, the JD-U leader discussed the opposition unity move with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, its former president Rahul Gandhi, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja. Last year, Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao had visited Patna to discuss the anti-BJP opposition unity plan.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav went to Ranchi to extend opposition unity to Jharkhand by including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in the campaign.
