Key Opposition meet likely on June 12 in Patna: CM Nitish Kumar | Latest News India

The opposition parties meeting would likely be held in Bihar’s capital Patna on June 12, chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Sunday.

The meeting is being planned in a bid to unite Opposition forces against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Kumar was addressing a meeting of the Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)] office-bearers at the party office in Patna on Sunday. The meeting, in all likelihood, would take place at Gyan Bhawan, he said.

Also Read: Opposition unity in focus as Nitish meets Congress chief Kharge

“The CM said that opposition unity meeting of all like-minded parties will be held in June tentatively around June 12 and we have to gear up to present a united front,” said a JD (U) office-bearer to HT. Kumar, however, did not interact with the media.

The decision on the date of the meeting comes close on the heels of 20 opposition parties’ decision to boycott the opening of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.

The parties have accused the central government of ignoring President Droupadi Murmu, saying as the First citizen of the country, she should have rightfully led the inauguration ceremony.

The Grand Alliance (GA) leaders familiar with the development said that more than 18 like-minded parties opposed to the ruling (BJP) will attend the conclave to be chaired by the Bihar chief minister.

“It is going to be a preparatory meeting and the main meeting would be held later,” said the GA leader.

Also Read: ‘No sense’: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on new Parliament building

The idea to hold the meeting in Patna was mooted by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her meeting with Kumar in April as it was from here that late Jai Prakash Narayan had started his ‘Total Revolution movement’ against the Congress government.

Recently, after the swearing-in ceremony of the Karnataka Congress government, Kumar held a fresh round of talks with Congress president Malikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Earlier in May, Kumar also met NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai to take them in confidence in his mission to unite the opposition.

Mamata Banerjee has already accepted the “One-On-One” strategy pitched by Kumar and JD (U) has already recognised nearly 475 seats where united opposition can enter into a direct fight with the BJP.