Union Minister Anurag Thakur has taken a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ahead of an Opposition meeting scheduled for June 23 in Patna. Thakur said that the Opposition meeting should ask Nitish Kumar about the corruption in the state and that the alliance should not be with corrupt parties. The meeting aims to bring together like-minded Opposition parties against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Originally scheduled for June 12, the meeting is expected to lay the groundwork for the coming together of Opposition parties. However, the grand alliance suffered a setback when the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) President Santosh Suman announced on Monday that their party would be withdrawing support from the Bihar government and Governor. Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM has four MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Suman said that their party is currently in the process of expanding and that their options are open. They would consider forming a third-front and consult with various NGOs. They will inform the public of their decision within three to four days after submitting a letter of withdrawal to the Bihar government and the Governor.
The JD(U) has 45 MLAs while the RJD has 79. The BJP has 77 legislators in the House. The Opposition meeting has caused a stir in Bihar’s political circles, with prominent leaders expected to attend. The meeting is aimed at bringing together likeminded Opposition parties to take on the BJP and win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
