By PTI
PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday asserted that a united opposition, which he is working on, will trounce the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll and “bundle it out for about 50 seats”.
Kumar made the averment here while addressing a meeting of the state executive of his JD(U), which was followed shortly afterwards by the national executive.
According to a party release, the chief minister squarely blamed JD(U)’s drubbing in the 2020 assembly polls on “BJP’s conspiracy” and also recalled his own reluctance to continue for another term in office.
Notably, the assembly poll results sowed seeds of distrust and the crisis of confidence deepened with the perception that the former JD(U) president RCP Singh had become a mole of the BJP.
Kumar, faced with the possibility of a split in the party allegedly with help of RCP, as Singh is known as, had pulled the plug on the alliance with BJP in August and formed a new government with the RJD-Congress combine.
It has the support of the Left from outside.
“If all (opposition) parties fight together, the BJP will be bundled out for about 50 seats. I am devoting myself to that drive (abhiyan)”, said the JD(U) de facto chief.
He will reach Delhi on Monday on a three-day tour as part of his political endeavors.
The veteran leader, who had been a BJP ally for nearly three decades, also had a word of caution for his party workers in Bihar following the break up.
“The BJP will try to disturb social and communal harmony in the state. We must foil their designs by keeping vigil to the level of panchayats,” Kumar added.
Nitish Kumar is likely to visit Delhi from September 5 and meet several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, in his bid to bring them together to fight the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Janata Dal (United) sources said Kumar is also expected to meet Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Left leaders among others.
The JD(U) is holding its two-day meeting of national executive and national council here on Saturday and Sunday.
The party is likely to authorise Kumar to hold talks with Opposition leaders to bring them on one platform for the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the sources said.
This will be Kumar’s first meeting to the national capital after he snapped ties with the BJP and joined the RJD-Congress-Left alliance to form a new government in the state.
There is a growing buzz within his party for a national role for the Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister as the opposition’s prime ministerial face even though he has repeatedly deflected queries on the issue.
Billboards put up by the party at the venue of the two-day meeting have pitched Kumar against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their slogans without directly referring to the BJP leader though.
In his address to the Janata Dal (United) national executive, Kumar claimed his only goal is to work for uniting opposition parties, sources said.
The party later authorised him to work for the opposition unity.
The meeting also passed a resolution which alleged there is an “undeclared emergency” in the country under the BJP government which is “trying to silence” opposition voices by “misusing” probe agencies.
The BJP government at the Centre is labelling the democratic right of dissent as “treason”, it alleged.
The resolution said the country is looking for an alternative to the BJP and asked all opposition parties to sink their differences and unite.
It also accused the BJP of stoking “communal frenzy” in the country.
“Minorities are being targeted. Intolerance and extremism have increased in society. Dalits and tribals are being harassed.”
The party also slammed the ruling BJP for what it called were its authoritarian tendencies and hit out at the ruling party for “destabilising” non-BJP governments in several states including in Delhi and Jharkhand.
Two resolutions were passed in the meeting.
PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday asserted that a united opposition, which he is working on, will trounce the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll and “bundle it out for about 50 seats”.
Kumar made the averment here while addressing a meeting of the state executive of his JD(U), which was followed shortly afterwards by the national executive.
According to a party release, the chief minister squarely blamed JD(U)’s drubbing in the 2020 assembly polls on “BJP’s conspiracy” and also recalled his own reluctance to continue for another term in office.
Notably, the assembly poll results sowed seeds of distrust and the crisis of confidence deepened with the perception that the former JD(U) president RCP Singh had become a mole of the BJP.
Kumar, faced with the possibility of a split in the party allegedly with help of RCP, as Singh is known as, had pulled the plug on the alliance with BJP in August and formed a new government with the RJD-Congress combine.
It has the support of the Left from outside.
“If all (opposition) parties fight together, the BJP will be bundled out for about 50 seats. I am devoting myself to that drive (abhiyan)”, said the JD(U) de facto chief.
He will reach Delhi on Monday on a three-day tour as part of his political endeavors.
The veteran leader, who had been a BJP ally for nearly three decades, also had a word of caution for his party workers in Bihar following the break up.
“The BJP will try to disturb social and communal harmony in the state. We must foil their designs by keeping vigil to the level of panchayats,” Kumar added.
Nitish Kumar is likely to visit Delhi from September 5 and meet several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, in his bid to bring them together to fight the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Janata Dal (United) sources said Kumar is also expected to meet Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Left leaders among others.
The JD(U) is holding its two-day meeting of national executive and national council here on Saturday and Sunday.
The party is likely to authorise Kumar to hold talks with Opposition leaders to bring them on one platform for the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the sources said.
This will be Kumar’s first meeting to the national capital after he snapped ties with the BJP and joined the RJD-Congress-Left alliance to form a new government in the state.
There is a growing buzz within his party for a national role for the Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister as the opposition’s prime ministerial face even though he has repeatedly deflected queries on the issue.
Billboards put up by the party at the venue of the two-day meeting have pitched Kumar against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their slogans without directly referring to the BJP leader though.
In his address to the Janata Dal (United) national executive, Kumar claimed his only goal is to work for uniting opposition parties, sources said.
The party later authorised him to work for the opposition unity.
The meeting also passed a resolution which alleged there is an “undeclared emergency” in the country under the BJP government which is “trying to silence” opposition voices by “misusing” probe agencies.
The BJP government at the Centre is labelling the democratic right of dissent as “treason”, it alleged.
The resolution said the country is looking for an alternative to the BJP and asked all opposition parties to sink their differences and unite.
It also accused the BJP of stoking “communal frenzy” in the country.
“Minorities are being targeted. Intolerance and extremism have increased in society. Dalits and tribals are being harassed.”
The party also slammed the ruling BJP for what it called were its authoritarian tendencies and hit out at the ruling party for “destabilising” non-BJP governments in several states including in Delhi and Jharkhand.
Two resolutions were passed in the meeting.
