New Delhi: Efforts to bring together a viable opposition ahead of the 2024 general elections were visible on Wednesday when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met with JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Delhi.
Gandhi said that this is a historic step taken to unite the opposition. “You asked how many opposition parties would come together. Please understand, this is a process. We will develop the vision that the opposition has for the country. We will take along all those parties who will come with us to fight the ideological war in the country. We will stand together against the attacks on the country, on the institutions,” Gandhi said.
#Watch , This is a historic step to unite the opposition. We will develop the vision of the opposition parties and move forward; Together we will stand for the country: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/S5iEupslzL
– ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2023
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was also present, who said that the “historic step” saw discussions on a number of issues, but there was a need to bring all parties together and fight the next election in a united manner. “We will work towards that goal,” Kharge told the media.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that he will try to bring maximum parties together. “We have finalized it today. We have talked to others. Those who agree will be part of our future plans. A lot of people have come forward,” said Kumar.
#Watch , “We will try to unite as many political parties as we can and move forward together,” says Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. pic.twitter.com/Qfa5LRPxYU
– ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2023
The opposition was recently spooked when Congress’s top ally Sharad Pawar questioned its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the allegations against industrialist Gautam Adani.
Speaking to NDTV – which is owned by Adani – the head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) It had last week said that “an individual industrial group in the country was targeted”, and there was no need for a JPC probe as the Supreme Court had announced a committee to probe the matter.
But the veteran politician tried to mend fences on Tuesday, saying he would not oppose the probe for the sake of the opposition. Talking to Marathi television news channel ABP Majha, Pawar said his opinion may be different from that of his colleagues, but there was agreement on maintaining unity among the opposition parties.
The opposition, led by the Congress, has demanded a JPC probe into the allegations made by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani group, claiming that the Modi government is protecting Adani. Hindenburg did in his January report accused Adani Group of stock manipulation and other malpractices.
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