BJP Takes A Dig At Opposition After Nitish, Tejashwi Meet Kharge, Rahul

Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav held a 'historic' meeting with Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday to unite opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2024 elections.

New Delhi: As Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav held a meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday took a dig at the Opposition and called it a 'Maha Thug Bandhan'. He also said that during the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the political parties 'indulged in corruption' had formed this 'Maha Thug Bandhan' but it was not successful. 

"When political parties that are indulging in corruption come together they form 'Maha Thug Bandhan'. They don't have any policy, leadership," Anurag Thakur told news agency ANI.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the people will not vote for them. 

"During 2014 and 2019, they had formed the same 'Maha Thug Bandhan' but nothing happened as people know about them," he added.

Thakur also heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the work he has done since coming to power at the Centre in 2014.

"Today we are number 1 in steel and milk production, number 2 in mobile production and number 3 in the startup ecosystem," he said.

When political parties that are indulging in corruption come together they form 'Maha Thug Bandhan'. They don't have any policy, leadership. People will not vote for them. During 2014, 2019 & UP polls also they formed this 'Maha Thug Bandhan' but nothing happened as people know… pic.twitter.com/cWlPGAyLr2 — ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2023

Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar, who is BJP's former ally, and Tejashwi Yadav held a 'historic' meeting with Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in the national capital and decided to bring together as many opposition parties as possible to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, Rahul said the opposition will together develop its vision for the country and present the same before people as they fight the ongoing ideological battle together.

"We held a historic meeting here. A lot of issues were discussed and we decided that we will unite all parties and fight the upcoming polls in a united manner. We have made this decision and all of us will work for this," Gandhi told reporters while lauding the efforts of Kumar, Yadav, and others sitting along with him.

He said the leaders present at the meeting will work on a common line of thought and asserted that efforts were being made in this regard.

The former Congress chief termed the meeting a 'historic step' to unite the Opposition.

"In this battle of ideology, a historic step has been taken today towards the unity of the opposition. Standing together, will fight together - for India," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi and shared his picture with other leaders.

विचारधारा की इस लड़ाई में, विपक्ष की एकता की ओर आज एक ऐतिहासिक कदम लिया गया है।

साथ खड़े हैं, साथ लड़ेंगे - भारत के लिए! pic.twitter.com/xoStUuiqyL — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 12, 2023

Asked how many opposition parties will come together, Gandhi said, "This is a process and we will develop the opposition's vision for the country and all those parties that will come together with us, we will together fight the ongoing ideological fight in the country."

"We will unitedly stand against the attack on institutions, the attack on the country," he said, adding a very important step has been taken today.

In his remarks, Nitish said that they will make all efforts to unite more and more parties in the country. 

WATCH: Congress President Shri @kharge and Shri @RahulGandhi address the media in New Delhi. https://t.co/hZAJ5zCVSN — Congress (@INCIndia) April 12, 2023

Kumar is also expected to meet a slew of opposition leaders during his stay in the national capital.

The Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Congress are in a coalition government in Bihar and the three parties are in talks to bring other opposition parties together on a common platform in their fight against the BJP.