In a lighthearted moment during the opposition meeting held in Patna, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav playfully teased Rahul Gandhi, stating that he should have followed his earlier suggestion to get married. Yadav joked that it is never too late for the Congress leader to marry. The lighthearted banter added levity to the gathering, where leaders from various opposition parties gathered to discuss strategies and forge unity ahead of the upcoming elections.
The RJD supremo can be heard saying in a video shared by the news agency ANI, "He did not listen to us, should have married by now. (Pointing to Rahul Gandhi) Your mother used to say that you don't listen to her because you didn't marry. But it's not too late to get married," he said in Hindi.
On Friday, 17 opposition parties agreed to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in order to defeat the BJP and work with flexibility by putting aside their differences.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said at a joint press conference after an almost four-hour meeting in which leaders of 17 parties expressed their views, that the leaders will meet in the coming days to finalise their plan of fighting together.
"We had a good meeting, and several leaders shared their perspectives. 17 parties have decided to work together and run together in the Lok Sabha elections," he said.
Kumar, who hosted the first such meeting, stated that they were working in the national interest and accused the BJP of acting against it by attempting to change the country's history.
The next meeting of opposition leaders will be held in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, next month, according to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
"We may have some differences, but we have decided to work together with flexibility and will work to protect our ideology," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister, and TMC supremo stated that the first meeting was held in Patna because "whatever begins in Patna takes the shape of the public movement".
READ | 'Will Unite To Protect Shared Ideologies': Top Quotes By Opposition Leaders After Mega Meet In Patna