With Congress president Sonia Gandhi set to return to the country on Friday, Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar has sought time to meet her during his scheduled visit to the national Capital next week to attend the INLD convened rally on September 25.
Sources close to Nitish said that while the Opposition unity will be foremost on the agenda on the Sonia-Nitish meeting, the senior JD(U) leader may like to discuss the grand old party’s strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Sources also said that a change in the UPA’s leadership, now with Sonia, may also be discussed to bring back a host of regional parties which are to accept Congress’ leadership.
Party sources said before undertaking a second round of tours to call on Opposition leaders, Nitish would like to impress upon the Congress leadership the need to mend fences with the likes of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao AAP convenor, and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
While Rao and Mamata gave favoured the formation of a third front minus Congress, Nitish called for the “main front” that also includes Congress and the Left.
Nitish coined the expression “main front” main front during a Press conference held jointly by him and his Telangana counterpart KCR during the latter’s visit to Bihar recently.
Nitish has already met former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi during his last visit to Delhi. He could not meet Sonia as she was abroad for her treatment.
The Congress president’s arrival to Delhi had to be delayed due to the demise of her mother in Italy. Sonia traveled there accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi.
Nitish also met other significant leaders from Opposition camps like NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, INLD patriarch OP Chautala and Left leaders. Pawar last week too clarified he is not interested in the PM race rather keen to unite opposition.