New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met his Delhi counterpart and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal at the latter’s residence here on Sunday, a day after attending the swearing-in ceremony of the new Congress government in Karnataka.
Kejriwal was among the few non-BJP chief ministers who were not invited by the Congress to the event, which was also seen as a show of strength by opposition parties.
Kumar met Kejriwal as part of his efforts to forge a larger unity among opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and has been meeting several leaders over the same.
Nitish has also proposed a plan for the opposition’s unity, against the AAP government’s war with the center for sharing of power as per the Supreme Court’s order. The Center recently passed an ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi.
“If all non-BJP parties get united, then this can be stopped in Rajya Sabha,” said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal after meeting with Kumar.
Nitish Kumar criticized the Center, questioning how they could usurp authority from an elected administration.
“How can you take away the freedom to work that the Supreme Court has granted the Delhi government? We will organise further meetings and stand by the AAP. The rule of law must be upheld, and there should be peace among the populace, he added, adding that his group was working to get as many opposition groups together as possible.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was also present at the meeting.
This is the second meeting between Kumar and Kejriwal in over a month. The Janata Dal (United) leader had earlier met the Delhi chief minister here on April 12.
With Kejriwal’s relations with the Congress far from smooth, Kumar has the task of building some kind of a working relationship between the two as he also sees the grand old party as critical to any Opposition unity bid.
The AAP has grown in Delhi and Punjab by occupying the space once largely seen as Congress territory. A section of Congress leaders believe that reclaiming the constituency is the key to the party’s revival in these states and any compromise with it can hamper their plans.
Kumar has been meeting regional satraps as part of the unity exercise which is yet to take a concrete shape.
(With inputs frpm news agencies)
