PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday left for a three-day visit to New Delhi for holding discussions with Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, in an attempt to create a formidable anti-BJP front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Incidentally, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav is already in Delhi in connection with his questioning by the ED in the land-for-job scam. Nitish, who has already rejected the idea of a third front, has renewed his efforts to forge a broad Opposition unity after Kharge had called him last Friday.
The JD(U) leader has been requesting Congress leadership to take a lead in bringing all Opposition parties on a single platform.
During his Delhi stay, Nitish is likely to meet RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who is recuperating at the residence of his daughter Misa Bharti after his kidney transplant in Singapore. He is expected to go to Singapore for his health check-up soon.
Nitish began his drive for the Opposition unity soon after he formed a new government with the grand alliance. He, accompanied by Lalu, had met Sonia last September. During his first visit to Delhi, Nitish had met Opposition leaders like Sharad Pawar and Arvind Kejriwal among others. Tejaswi had also met Kejriwal during his last visit to Delhi.
Nitish has said that he is not in the race to become Prime Minister. “I want all Opposition parties to come together to dethrone BJP from power at the Centre in the next general election. I will be meeting leaders of like-minded political parties in days to come for a united Opposition ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls,” he told the media.