Ramping up efforts to forge a united opposition, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has extended an invitation to National Congress Party (NCP) patriarch and MP Sharad Pawar and former chief minister of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to attend the proposed meeting of various opposition parties for the formation of a larger opposition front to take on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
According to the people familiar with the matter, Kumar extended a formal invitation to the two top leaders on Thursday.
“There are chances Pawar and Thackeray would come to the proposed opposition meeting. They have been given a formal invitation,” said a senior Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader, wishing not to be named.
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The Bihar grand alliance (GA) leader on Thursday once again reiterated that his wish is to unite all the opposition parties on one platform to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but underlined that he does not have any aspiration for any post in the proposed front.
The GA coalition, comprising Rashtriya Janata Dal, JD(U), Congress and left parties, are planning to host a big meeting of major anti-BJP parties, including Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after Karnataka poll results on May 13. There is all likelihood the proposed meeting would be held in Patna.
GA insiders said the proposed opposition meeting would decide the framework of the proposed front and how it would operate as a single opposition entity to fight the BJP-led Central government in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier this week, Kumar also expressed his willingness to meet Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on a similar agenda.
“What is happening in the country is before all. History is being changed. I am selflessly trying to unite all opposition parties, as I don’t want anything for myself. My entire focus is on uniting the opposition,” Nitish had said.
Last month, Kumar met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and said work is on to bring together as many parties as possible to remove the BJP from power in the next general elections.
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The Bihar CM also held talks with his West Bengal counterpart Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.
On April 12, Kumar, along with his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, met Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal leading to speculation of a major coming together of opposition parties.
On the same day, the duo also met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and pledged to take all opposition parties together for a united front against the BJP.
