Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that the BJP will “come down to 50 seats” in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, if all the opposition parties unite against it.
In his address to the Janata Dal (United) national executive, Kumar said that opposition parties need to bury their differences for the welfare of people who are looking for an "alternative". He claimed his only goal is to work for uniting opposition parties, as per sources quoted by PTI.
The party later authorised him to work for forging this 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 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."
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.
Kumar may have been deflecting talk about his national ambitions but the posters outside the party headquarters, put up for the JD(U) national conclave, tell quite a different story -- some taking swipes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others proclaiming him as the man who will herald change in 2024.
The Bihar chief minister is no "jumla" (rhetoric) and all "haqiqat" (reality), says one of the billboards, while another declares 'mann ki nahi, kaam ki' (he is all about work and not 'mann'), directly pitching him against Prime Minister Modi.
Some of the posters assert Kumar will make an India of "Ek Samaaj, Shrestha Samaaj" in 2024 and that "badlaaw" (change) will happen as a beginning has been made.
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