'All leaders are united to defeat PM Modi,' says JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar

Ahead of the mega meeting of key Opposition forces in Patna, Janata Dal (United) leader Neeraj Kumar on Friday said all leaders are united to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 general election.

"All leaders including Mamata Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav are united to defeat PM Modi in 2024," the JDU leader said.

"It's a big challenge for the BJP that if all opposition parties will get united then their political shop will be closed," he added.

Meanwhile, Bihar Congress president Dr Akhilesh Prasad Singh said all opposition parties are coming together to defeat the ideology of BJP and RSS.

 

"We welcome that all opposition parties are coming together to defeat the ideology of BJP and RSS. If all parties will fight unitedly then BJP will be reduced to 100 seats in the country," Bihar Congress president said.

Leaders of Opposition parties from across the country are set to meet in Patna to chalk out a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Opposition picked Patna as a venue for its meeting as it represents the 1974 call of total revolution by Jayaprakash Narayan that toppled Indira Gandhi's majority government.

The meeting will be hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with the aim to arrive at a consensus to forge a united Opposition front to take on the BJP.

As leaders of several opposition parties arrived in Patna on Thursday, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary decided to skip the conclave due to a "pre-decided family programme". Chaudhary, however, hoped the meeting will be an "important milestone in the path of opposition unity".

This came after the Janata Dal (United), which is hosting the meet, said Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has not been invited to the event.

The meeting has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar and will be attended by leaders of parties opposed to the BJP.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti were among the leaders who reached Patna ahead of the meeting.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge are expected to reach Patna today.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray are among the leaders expected to attend the meeting.