Bihar CM Nitish in Delhi to strategise for 2024 polls; meets Rahul first

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday evening met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to discuss the current political situation and devise a poll strategy that would ensure Opposition unity ahead off the 2024 General elections.

The Bihar chief minister also met Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Kumaraswamy at his Delhi residence.

This was the first meeting between Kumar and Rahul since the former walked out of the NDA in Bihar and formed a Grand Alliance government with RJD, Congress and outside support of the left.

The meeting lasted for almost an hour. Kumar was accompanied by Bihar Water Resources Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha.

Kumar who arrived in Delhi on Monday, is likely to meet several opposition leaders including NCP’s Sharad Pawar, AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala on Tuesday.

Kumar is making attempts to bring all opposition parties together as a united force against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The JD(U) leader is being talked about in political circles as a key face to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Taking a swipe at Kumar, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan said a chief minister who ordered lathi-charge on those seeking jobs is on a three-day visit to Delhi with prime ministerial ambitions. Instead of focusing on Bihar’s development, he is busy trying to unite the Opposition, Paswan said in a tweet in Hindi and tagged Kumar in it. Paswan’s party also hit out at Kumar in a tweet and said, “There are floods in Bihar, but the chief minister is away from Bihar”.

(With inputs from agencies)