Oppn leaders call for anti-BJP front with Cong for 2024 polls

NEW DELHI: In the first major move towards forging a united front, prominent opposition leaders called for an umbrella alliance to take on the mighty BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, stressing on the importance of including the Congress to make it a bipolar contest would ensure the BJP’s defeat. Hours later, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to pitch for the same.

The platform for the exhortation was the mega rally organised by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) here to mark former deputy PM Devi Lal’s birth anniversary in Fatehabad, on Sunday.

Addressing the rally, Nitish said instead of a Third Front – which by definition keeps the Congress away – there should be one “main front” to trounce the BJP in the 2024 elections. “If all non-BJP parties unite, which must include our friends from Congress, then we can get rid of those working to destroy the country,” he said.

Forging a common front that includes the Congress was echoed by other leaders like NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant, INLD president OP Chautala and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal. Interestingly, all these parties, except NCP, have always fought the Congress in their pocket boroughs.

Nitish and Lalu met Sonia at her 10 Janpath residence and pitched for bringing all opposition parties together, a meeting considered crucial as efforts are on to reconcile differences between the Congress and some of its regional rivals. “The Congress is in the process of electing its new president and Sonia Gandhi told us we will meet again after the election,” said Lalu. Nitish added that a concrete plan of action would emerge after the new Congress president is elected. ↔ More on P6