New Delhi: The fate of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the coordinator of the opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc remains unclear as the scheduled meeting of the alliance leaders has been postponed. The meeting, which was supposed to take place on Wednesday (January 3rd), was expected to finalise the role of Nitish Kumar in the coalition ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. However, the meeting has now been rescheduled for a later date, with no confirmation on the timing. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who is also the son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, said that the meeting was deferred due to some unavoidable reasons.
Meanwhile, the BJP has mocked the delay in the meeting and accused the opposition parties of avoiding Nitish Kumar. BJP leader Sanjay Mayukh said that the I.N.D.I.A bloc leaders are showing Nitish Kumar a mirage and that nobody wants him as the leader of the coalition. He also claimed that Nitish Kumar’s popularity in Bihar has come to an end and that he has no future in the state politics.
Tejashwi Supports Nitish Kumar As Convenor
On the other hand, Tejashwi Yadav has expressed his support for Nitish Kumar as the convenor of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. He said that Nitish Kumar is a senior and experienced leader and that it would be great for Bihar if he becomes the coordinator of the opposition alliance. He also said that the issue of seat-sharing among the coalition partners will be sorted out without any problem.
The I.N.D.I.A bloc, which comprises of the Congress, the RJD, the JD(U), the SP, the BSP, the TMC, the DMK, the NCP, the CPI, the CPI(M) and other regional parties, is aiming to challenge the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general elections. The bloc last met on December 19, 2023, and decided to finalise seat-sharing as soon as possible.
However, the bloc has not yet declared its prime ministerial candidate, with some leaders suggesting the name of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, while others saying that the issue will be decided democratically after the polls.