New Delhi: Taking a swipe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his recent meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Monday said there was no vacancy for the Prime Ministerial berth in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
On Monday, CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav called on Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna in Howrah.
The meeting assumed significance as it was seen as part of the Bihar CM’s ongoing efforts to rally the Opposition forces against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the two leaders sought to send out a message of Opposition unity, with the Trinamool Congress chief saying that she wants the BJP “to be reduced to zero” in the next general elections.
Reacting to the meeting, Shahnawaz Hussain said it will bear no fruit as the BJP-led NDA will return for a third, straight term at the hustings under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mocking Nitish over his attempts to galvanise the Opposition in a grand alliance, the BJP leader said, “Nitish Kumar took our support and became CM. His party is in the third position [in terms of MLAs in Bihar] and he is dreaming of becoming the country’s PM.”
“Nitish Kumar knows that there is no vacancy for the post of Prime Minister in the country, which is why he is saying that he is not a candidate and is only uniting the Opposition,” the former Union minister told ANI.
After the meeting, Mamata Banerjee held a press conference, with the Bihar CM and his deputy seated by her side.
Pitching for a united opposition, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, “We will go ahead together. We have no personal ego, we want to work together collectively. I have made just one request to Nitish-ji. Jayaprakash (Narayan ) ji’s movement started from Bihar.”
“We have an all-party meeting in Bihar to decide how to take this forward. But for starters, we need to send out a message that we are together. I have said earlier that I have no objection (to a grand Opposition alliance against the BJP). I want the BJP to become zero. They have become a big hero with media’s support and lies,” Mamata added.
Earlier on April 12, Nitish had met with Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and former MP Rahul Gandhi in the national capital.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said it was a “historic step” towards Opposition unity and for an “ideological fight”.
Rahul Gandhi, who posted a picture of himself with Kharge and JDU and RJD leaders, said they are “standing together, will fight together for India”.
“In this battle of ideology, a historic step has been taken today towards Opposition unity. (We are) standing together, will fight together – for India!” Rahul Gandhi had said in a tweet after the meeting with the Bihar chief minister.
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