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NATION SEPTEMBER 02, 2022 | The Indian Eye 6

Eye on 2024: How and why the chorus of

‘Nitish Kumar for PM’ is growing louder

During the Patna meet, both KCR and Nitish Kumar said the alternative to the BJP will be the

main opposition front and not a third front (without the Congress)

OUR BUREAU al election has grown louder.
KCR’s meeting with Nitish and
Patna/New Delhi
Tejashwi assumes significance amidst
elangana Chief Minister K the ongoing political slugfest be-
Chandrashekar Rao visited tween the Grand Alliance and BJP in
TBihar on Wednesday and met the state. KCR has been advocating a
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and non-Congress, non-BJP federal front
his deputy and Rashtriya Janata Dal at the national level. “Both the chief
(RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, called ministers will discuss the national
for “BJP-mukt Bharat”. Addressing politics on this occasion,” a press
a press conference after meeting Ku- note issued from KCR’s office said.
mar and Yadav, the Telangana CM, Bihar’s ruling JD(U) has gone
fondly called KCR, blamed the BJP- excessively enthusiastic over the
led dispensation at the Centre for the KCR-Nitish meeting. “KCR coming
many ills plaguing the country. to Patna and his political meeting
He also attacked the Narendra with the Bihar CM is a strong indi-
Modi government over rupee depre- cation that the process to recognize
ciation, farmer protests, unemploy- Nitish as possible national leader has
ment, and rising prices. KCR with Nitish Kumar in Patna begun,” JD(U) spokesperson Arvind
The official purpose of KCR’s Nishad said on Tuesday.
visit to Patna was to hand over Some senior JD(U) leaders said
cheques of Rs 10 lakh each to the on Tuesday that currently the names
next of kin of five soldiers from Bi- of West Bengal CM Mamata Baner-
har who died during the clash with jee, KCR and Nitish were being dis-
Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in cussed as the opposition’s possible
June 2020. But the visit came in the prime ministerial candidate for the
backdrop of Nitish Kumar’s split with 2024 polls against the PM Narendra
the NDA and renewed buzz about a Modi.
united opposition. “As the BJP, especially PM Modi,
KCR, in a joint press conference has continuously been harping on the
with CM Nitish Kumar and deputy twin issues of ‘dynasty politics and
CM Tejashwi Yadav, attacked the ‘corruption’, the prospect of Mamata
Centre on price rise, unemployment, and KCR is very bleak in the wake of
privatization policies and called for the charges of corruption on the pol-
‘BJP-mukt Bharat’. “We must en- iticians of the TMC and TRS, respec-
deavor to drive the BJP out of power, tively. Moreover, Mamata and KCR
by whatever means possible,” KCR both have promoted members of
said. their close family in the government
KCR, who also met RJD su- and the organization. Nitish comes
premo Lalu Prasad Yadav in Patna, clean on both the issues,” the JD(U)
in response to a question on Nitish Mamata Banerjee could be another contender to lead the joint opposition in 2024 leaders argued. They also pointed
Kumar being a potential challenger out that PM Modi just a few months
to Prime Minister Narendra Modi CM and Trinamool Congress leader the BJP, which is playing the danger- back had praised Nitish saying, “Ni-
in 2024, said, “Nitish ji is one of the Mamata Banerjee. ous game of whipping up communal tish Babu is a true Samajwadi like
best and most senior leaders in the During his trip to New Delhi passions for its own petty political Ram Manohar Lohia and George
country. I am not the one to make a and Punjab, he met with Chief Min- gains,” KCR said. Fernandes.
decision. It will be decided when all isters Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Dismissing the KCR-Nitish Though Nitish while interacting
opposition parties sit together.” Mann. KCR had also met the Sam- meeting, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and with media on August 12 categorical-
This was KCR’s sixth tour to meet ajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav twice. former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil ly said he was not in the PM’s race,
leaders of regional parties. He earli- During the Patna meet, both Kumar Modi said, “The KCR-Nitish senior JD(U) leaders like Upendra
er met JMM Chief Shibu Soren and KCR and Nitish Kumar said the al- meeting is nothing more than a com- Kushwaha have regularly been as-
his son and Jharkhand CM Hemant ternative to the BJP will be the main edy show.” serting that the Bihar CM has all
Soren, the Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thac- opposition front and not a third front But the chorus to project Nit- qualities and qualifications to be-
keray, Tamil Nadu CM and DMK (without the Congress). “It is not the ish Kumar as the opposition’s prime come the PM and “he is a PM ma-
leader MK Stalin, and West Bengal third front, but the main front to fight ministerial candidate for 2024 gener- terial.”

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