Meeting of opposition leaders in Patna post-Karnataka poll: Nitish Kumar

PTI, Apr 29, 2023, 2:09 PM IST

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hinted that a meeting of opposition leaders may take place in Patna after the crucial Karnataka assembly polls were over as many would be busy electioneering there. The JD (U) supremo said issues related to forging opposition unity could be expected to be thrahed outat this meeting.

”We will definitely sit together and discuss the issue pertaining to the formation of an alliance of opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

”Currently, some leaders are busy in the assembly poll (Karnataka). Once it is over, we will finalize the venue of our meeting. If Patna is unanimously decided as the next venue of the meeting of opposition leaders, it will be held here ,” Kumar said. ”We will be happy to organize this meeting in Patna,” he added.

It may be recalled that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after meeting Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, in Kolkata on April 24, had requested her counterpart to organise a meeting of all non-BJP parties in Patna to discuss opposition unity before the coming Lok Sabha elections.

“I have made just one request to Nitish Kumar. Jayaprakash ji’s movement started from Bihar. If we have an all-party meeting in Bihar, we can then decide where we have to go next,” Banerjee had said after the meeting with Kumar in Kolkata.

Kumar, acknowledging this friendly demand by Banerjee said ”Unhone–Mamta Banerjee–to Bola Hin Tha Patna mein meeting ke liye ( Mamata Banerjee had sought the meeting in Patna).”

”We are making efforts to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP-led central government. I recently met several opposition leaders. Now I will talk to other non BJP parties … My aim is to unite opposition parties before the general elections,” he said.