Bihar: Stage Set for Much-awaited Opposition Meeting in Patna

Patna: The stage is set for the much-awaited opposition meeting scheduled to be held in Patna on June 23 to forge strong opposition unity to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi in the next Lok Sabha elections. None other than Bihar chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar, defacto chief of Janata Dal-United (JD-U), the host of the opposition meeting, is keeping a close watch on arrangements.

Kumar, an engineer turned politician known for taking care of everything personally in the party and the government, has also directed some of his cabinet colleagues and senior party leaders to ensure no lapse in arrangements and hospitality of guests coming for the meeting.

With small patches of cloud in the sky and no strong hot winds, a sign of much-sought respite from a long spell of heatwave conditions on Tuesday here, preparations are in full swing for the meeting. Colourful posters and banners with smiling photos of opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwat Mann, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav and others have come up in Patna. The number of such displays will likely increase in the next two days.

Three days ahead of an opposition meeting, Kumar, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, was set to leave for Chennai on Tuesday (June 20) to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. However, Kumar cancelled his visit at the last minute due to health reasons. Only Tejashwi Yadav left for Tamil Nadu to meet Stalin on Kumar's behalf. 

Stalin's importance in the Opposition Unity project is reflected in his strong anti-BJP image in South India. He is widely seen as a leader that supported the Congress-led opposition. After BJP was defeated in the Karnataka Assembly polls last month, Congress is also upbeat after it formed the government there.

The Patna meeting is set to be held at a building close to the high security sprawling official residence of Kumar.

However, sources in Kumar's office told NewsClick that final work is on to prepare the state guest house for the stay of opposition leaders. 

"Important guests will likely stay in the state guest house as 17 rooms have been reserved."

Besides, rooms in big hotels in Patna are also booked for the stay of opposition leaders coming to attend meetings.

Some opposition leaders are likely to arrive on June 22 in Patna, and others will arrive on June 23 morning. As per reports, Congress president

Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (Udhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Udhav Thackeray, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti and Left party leaders will attend the meeting.

The opposition meeting results from the active role of Kumar, who has been tirelessly engaging with national and regional party leaders to strengthen opposition unity for the past few months. Kumar has repeatedly said that he is uninterested in any post and categorically denied that he was in the race for the PM post.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that Kumar will stop Modi's juggernaut in 2024. 

According to JD-U leaders close to Kumar, after the opposition meeting in Patna, Kumar will likely be named convenor of the united opposition. Then he will launch his formal campaign against BJP.

Interestingly, the saffron party leaders have launched a direct attack against Kumar in the state for his move to unite the opposition to challenge Modi. State BJP leaders have been asked to expose and target Kumar without a miss, said sources.

However, some BJP leaders who have been targeting Kumar, who was their ally till August 9, 2022, and are blaming him for everything, including poor governance and law and order in the state, joblessness, and backwardness, appear to have forgotten that they were part of the Kumar-led government in Bihar from 2005 to August 2022, except between 2015 to July 2017.

Since last September, after Kumar dumped BJP, forged a Mahagathbandhan, and formed the government, he has repeatedly urged all opposition parties to fight together in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.