Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and member of Rajya Sabha Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said there will be a coalition government in India after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His comment came just ahead of a meeting called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 12, in which key opposition leaders are expected to deliberate on a strategy to defeat the BJP. Along with other Opposition leaders, like NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray will attend the meeting to decide on fielding common candidates in all the 450 constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections next year.
While speaking to reporters earlier today, Raut said, “All like-minded parties are coming together and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is taking a lead in this. Uddhav Thackeray will attend the meeting in Patna.”
Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders in the country in a bid to unite them against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.Earlier this month, Kumar also met Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai in order to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of elections next year.
Bihar Minister and senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary earlier on Monday said most parties opposed to the BJP are likely to take part in the "extremely important meeting".
A day earlier on Tuesday also, Raut reiterated senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's stance and said that a decision on fielding one common candidate in all the 450 constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 will be taken up by non-BJP parties at a meeting called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna.
"Whatever P Chidambaram has said is true. Non-BJP parties will take a decision regarding it in the meeting called by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 12. Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar will attend the meeting, said Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut while speaking to news agency ANI.
On Tuesday, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram spoke about the likelihood of opposition parties fielding one common candidate against the BJP on all Lok Sabha constituencies at the meeting called by Nitish Kumar in Patna. However, he said it is still an "aspiration" and is a "work in progress".