Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav leave INDIA bloc meeting over backing to Kharge: Sources

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav left today's INDIA bloc meeting early, unhappy over the proposal of Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge's name as the prime ministerial candidate, sources told India Today TV.

As per sources, as soon as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee floated Mallikarjun Kharge's name as the prime ministerial candidate during the opposition alliance meeting in New Delhi, Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar expressed their disagreement. The leaders then left the alliance meeting early and did not attend the subsequent press conference.

Prior to the INDIA bloc meeting, Nitish Kumar’s party MLAs, as well as RJD leaders, publicly demanded that the Bihar Chief Minister be declared as the Opposition’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Notably, Lalu Yadav had also expressed support for Nitish Kumar earlier, stating that there is no challenge



before Nitish Kumar.

Political observers believe that the RJD is attempting to position Nitish Kumar in national politics so that Tejashwi Yadav can assume the position of Chief Minister in Bihar.

Meanwhile, the opposition alliance has not reached a consensus on the bloc’s prime ministerial candidate. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated that any decision on the prime ministerial candidate would be made after the elections.

"We have to win first and think about what to do to win. What is the point in discussing the PM before having MPs? We will try to get a majority together,” Kharge said when asked about the prime ministerial face of the alliance. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also proposed Kharge's name as the prime ministerial candidate.

The Congress chief mentioned that alliance partners will focus on seat-sharing talks at the state level and hold public meetings across the country.