KCR meets Nitish but a lot more needs to be done, in the former’s words, for ‘a BJP-mukt Bharat’
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s visit to Patna and his meeting with his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar have occasioned speculation about a joint front by Opposition parties to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the general elections in 2024. In fact, the joint press conference by the two stalwarts has already resulted in a viral video in which Rao is urging Kumar to keep answering questions, saying “Aap baithiye na (please sit),” whereas Kumar wants to wind it up, “Aap chaliye na (let’s go).” The BJP was quick to react to the slight different in approach between the two Chief Ministers over answering the questions of journalists. Its IT Cell chief Amit Malviya claimed that KCR was “insulted.” Such a harsh remark is indicative of the saffron party’s unease over the coming together of two Chief Ministers. Despite the bonhomie between the two leaders, posing a serious challenge to the BJP in 2024 is an uphill task. For one, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah the BJP has become a formidable election-winning machine. Even the critics of the BJP’s big two acknowledge that they and their party colleagues are assiduous politicians, working consistently and diligently for the success of their party. BJP leaders don’t leave any stone unturned.
Then there is the issue of unity among Opposition leaders. Disarray in the Congress is well known. Rahul Gandhi and other dynasts seem determined to make Modi’s dream of Congress-mukt Bharat a reality. And yet the grand old party, despite its meager presence in the Lok Sabha, is the only party other than the BJP that has a national footprint; it also has a 19.5 per cent vote share. But there is no consensus among Opposition leaders regarding the role of the grand old party in the proposed non-BJP front. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not favourably disposed towards the Congress. Her Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal, has also not shown much enthusiasm about a non-BJP coalition; he is busy on an expansion drive. There is still talk about a third front—that is, an alliance of non-Congress and non-BJP parties. KCR, however, is clear on the subject. He said, “Why third front? We are working on the main front... All opposition parties should come together and raise the slogan for a BJP-mukt Bharat...” Further, it will be very difficult for one of the leaders of the Opposition to be accepted as the prime ministerial face, as Modi’s challenger. Kumar, after his recent political somersault in which he dumped the BJP and realigned with the RJD, is seen by many as a frontrunner, but he has to travel a lot of distance. Also, he has to convince a lot of people that he can not only take on Modi successfully but also run a government in a manner that would be acceptable to all. He has a long way to go.