New Delhi: Efforts to put together a viable Opposition ahead of the 2024 general elections were visible Wednesday when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met with JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Delhi.
Gandhi said this was a historic step taken to unite the Opposition. “You asked how many Opposition parties will come together. Please understand, this is a process. We shall develop the vision that the Opposition has for the country. We will take along all parties who will come with us to fight the ideological wars in the country. We shall stand together against the attacks on institutions, the attacks on the country,” Gandhi said.
#WATCH | This is a historic step to unite the opposition. We will develop the vision of the opposition parties and move forward; we will all stand together for the country: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/S5iEupslzL
— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2023
Also present was Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who said several issues were discussed at the “historic step”, but what shone through was the need to bring together all parties, and fight the next elections in a united manner. “We shall work towards that goal,” Kharge told the media.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said they would try to bring together as many parties as possible. “We have finalised that today. We have spoken to others. Those who will agree will be part of our future plans. A lot of people have come forward,” Kumar said.
#WATCH | "We will try to unite as many political parties as we can and move forward together," says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pic.twitter.com/Qfa5LRPxYU
— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2023
The Opposition got a scare recently when top Congress ally Sharad Pawar broke ranks and 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 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said last week that an “individual industrial group of the country was targeted”, and that there was no need for a JPC probe since the Supreme Court had announced a committee to investigate the matter.
But the veteran politician tried to mend fences Tuesday, saying he would not oppose the inquiry for the sake of the Opposition. Speaking to Marathi television news channel ABP Majha, Pawar said his opinion may be different from that of his allies, but there was consensus on maintaining unity among Opposition parties.
The Opposition, led by the Congress, has demanded a JPC probe into allegations made by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group, and claimed the Modi government was protecting Adani. Hindenburg in its January report had accused the Adani Group of stock manipulation and other malpractices.
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