Strong Possibility Of Many Oppn Parties Joining Hands And Fighting 2024 Polls, Says Nitish Kumar

Nitish Kumar's remarks came a day after he attended a mega rally organised by the INLD in Fatehabad and met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that there was a "strong possibility" of Opposition parties forming a coalition to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported. Kumar's remarks came a day after he attended a mega rally organised by the INLD in Fatehabad and met Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Nitish Kumar, who has been meeting Opposition leaders after breaking ties with the BJP and joining hands with the RJD in Bihar to form the government, said he has had good talks with them and many would join hands gradually.

Speaking to reporters, the Janata Dal (United) leader also made light of the BJP's repeated swipe at the Opposition over its unity talks, saying the ruling party had many problems of its own. "All they can do is speak day and night," PTI quoted Nitish as saying.

"Many parties will gradually join hands, and there is a strong possibility that they will fight the 2024 elections together," the Bihar CM said, adding that he had positive discussions with leaders of various parties.

When asked if the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, both of which have strong reservations about the Congress, would be part of such a formation, he said that nothing concrete could be said until the Opposition reached an agreement on an alliance.

Kumar had met AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his last visit to the national capital.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also said recently that the TMC together with Nitish Kumar, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav would defeat the BJP.

During an earlier visit to the national capital, Kumar had met many other opposition leaders, inlcuding Congress's Rahul Gandhi. 

Nitish Kumar, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, and other prominent opposition leaders had at a rally in Fatehabad on Sunday called for a new alliance that includes the Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, stressing that a bipolar contest will ensure the BJP's defeat. Kumar had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday.

(With Inputs From PTI)