Bihar Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar also knows that it is not easy to bring unity among the opposition parties, yet his efforts are on with the aim of giving a tough challenge to the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
After meeting with AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi, Nitish Kumar met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and organization general secretary KC Venugopal.
Nitish Kumar’s emphasis was on the fact that the Congress had appointed Arvind Kejriwal and K.K. Why has he kept distance from Chandrashekhar Rao? Why were these two leaders not invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka? Does the Congress not want to include Kejriwal in a possible opposition alliance? If so, what kind of opposition unity strategy is the Congress planning?
Nitish’s question has merit because Kejriwal’s AAP has governments in Delhi and Punjab and AAP has also acquired the status of a national party.
At the same time, Nitish has been promising Kejriwal all possible help against the Modi government at the Centre.
Even if the Congress leaders have not reacted to this, it can be understood that considering the personal ambitions of Kejriwal and Chandrasekhar Rao, the Congress does not want to give them much importance.
Rao even changed the name of his party TRS to Bharat Rashtra Samiti.
Congress has shown its strength by winning consecutively in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka. There are so many problems in opposition unity.
Mamata and the Left parties cannot come together. The coordination between the parties of Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav cannot be established.
Despite a string of victories in Bengal, TMC could not get any success in Goa and North Eastern states including BJP ruled Tripura.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has made it clear that he is not in the race to become the Prime Minister and will not contest the next Lok Sabha elections.
They are trying to unite the opposition. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s role is neutral. He is satisfied with the BJD government in his state and the BJP government at the Centre.
Congress considers itself to be the main opposition party, so it is natural for them to expect other opposition parties to follow it.
Congress has been the head of the UPA in which non-BJP parties have been involved.
With time, conditions of cooperation can be created in the opposition, but opposition unity seems a far-fetched fantasy at this moment.
