Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, June 22
As the grand show of 18 opposition party leaders begin here on Friday morning, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC President Ms Mamata Banerjee predicted here the opposition parties would fight against the BJP like a united family.
Immediately after her arrival here, she met the RJD President, Lalu Prasad and his family at the residence of deputy Chief Minister, Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav and told media persons that tomorrow’s meeting will lay the foundation of the united opposition against the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections and an agreement on one against one candidate would be reached. She touched the feet of Lalu Prasad who blessed her.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is hosting the meet called on Mamata at Circuit House here and held preliminary rounds of discussion on tomorrow’s meeting agenda. He visited the CPI(ML) office and briefed its chief Deepankar Bhattacharya about the agenda.
Top opposition leaders started arriving here today. The PDP President and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti was the first to reach here. She went to Biharsharif, 125 km from here and offered prayers at the grave of Yusuf Shah Chak, the last Muslim King of Kashmir who ruled between 1579-86 before being exiled to Bihar by Akbar. He lies buried at Biharsharif with his family members.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Delhi Chief Minister Arwind Kejriwal went to the Takht Harmandir Sahib, birth place of tenth and last Guru of Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh ji. AAP has demanded condemnation of the union government ordinance on transfers and posting of civil servants in Delhi government. While other parties are supporting AAP demand, Congress has reservations, according to Sanjay Singh, party MP.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is President of the DMK and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav will reach Patna late Thursday evening, according to the state protocol department.
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leader Uddhav Thackeray are scheduled to arrive on Friday morning.
JDU on Thursday clarified no invitation was extended to the BSP President Mayawati, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Telangana Chief Minister K C Rao by the host Nitish Kumar.
