'Don't Have Lust For Power And Position': Bihar CM Nitish Kumar After Meeting Akhilesh Yadav

Akhilesh Yadav also slammed the BJP and alleged that the ruling party wants to democratic values of the country.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, who has taken on the responsibility of uniting opposition forces against the BJP-led government at the center, met Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday and said "I Don't have lust for power and position," reported news agency PTI.

"I don't have lust for power and position, my endeavour is to work for country's good," Bihar CM said.

"Efforts being made to change country's history, present regime only relying on publicity," said Nitish.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav slammed the BJP and alleged that the ruling party wants to democratic values of the country.

"BJP is continuously trying to finish democratic values of the country. We all are here with people of India to save country from unemployment, inflation & poverty. We want BJP govt to exit so that country can be saved," said Akhilesh Yadav.

Earlier on April 12, Nitish Kumar had met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former MP Rahul Gandhi in the national capital.

Nitish-Mamata Meeting

On Monday, Nitish also met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata to try to form a coalition of opposition parties. The two regional satraps stressed the importance of "preparing together" for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting between the two chiefs, which was additionally attended by Bihar's deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, was portrayed as "positive".

After the meeting in the state secretariat Nabanna, Kumar stated, "It was a very positive discussion... Opposition parties need to sit together and strategise."

"We have to give the message that we are all together," Banerjee said as he left the meeting. Sources said the two sides used the meeting to figure out how they would proceed in putting together a coalition that would be able to work before the elections, despite the fact that the leaders preferred to speak about the broader consensus.

Kumar asserted, "Nothing is being done for India's development, those ruling are only interested in their own advertisement."

“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,” said the chief minister.

“I want BJP to become zero. They have become a big hero with media's support and lies”, she added.

Banerjee replied, "All parties were involved," when asked about the Congress party's role in the opposition unity. Leaders of the opposition have criticised government advertising spending, rising prices, falling rupee value, and rising unemployment.