Nitish Kumar meets Left veterans Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja

Nitish Kumar meets Left veterans Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja

Nitish Kumar meets Left veterans Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Thursday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi as efforts to cement the opposition unity gained further momentum. The meeting comes amid hectic parleys among various opposition leaders over the past few days to forge an alliance against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting also assumes significance in the backdrop of the NCP chief's recent remarks supporting industrialist Gautam Adani and criticising the narrative around the US-based Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate. Pawar's spanner in the works of the opposition's anti-Adani campaign comes parallel to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's outreach to other opposition parties to solidify their unity in this crucial election year when six states will witness polls.

Pawar said he would be meeting some of the opposition leaders in the national capital on Friday. He, however, refused to answer questions on speculation about his party colleague Ajit Pawar joining the BJP.

Ajit Pawar is at the centre of such speculation after he was unreachable for some time on April 7 and also due to his comments on the debate surrounding the university degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has been leading the efforts to bring the opposition parties together, met CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D. Raja.

"Efforts for opposition unity have picked up the pace. An opposition coalition will be formed and seat adjustments will be done at the state level," Yechury said after the meeting.

He further said in a tweet: "With Bihar CM Shri Nitish Kumar to carry forward the efforts to unite secular democratic parties to safeguard the Indian Republic, Constitution and democracy, severely assaulted by the BJP and Modi government. Defeat the BJP in order to save India and people's livelihoods."

On Wednesday, Kumar had met both Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. He also met a slew of other opposition leaders including Aam Aadmi Party's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Reports said he is set to meet some more parties including the BRS and the Samajwadi Party in the coming days.