Sharad Pawar Pours Cold Water Over Nitish Kumar's Prime Ministerial Ambitions, Says No Discussion At Bihar Meet

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar disclosed on Monday that no deliberations regarding the "prime ministerial post" took place during the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna last week, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year.

This revelation comes as a blow to Nitish Kumar, who has actively positioned himself as the prime ministerial candidate of the "united Opposition" by meeting with various party leaders across the country to garner support and advocate for Opposition unity.

Nevertheless, it is widely recognized that the Bihar Chief Minister will face stiff competition from other prominent leaders such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, all of whom have expressed their aspirations for national leadership.

More than 32 leaders from over a dozen opposition parties convened in Patna for a crucial meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday, June 23. They resolved to join forces and collectively challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

During a joint press conference, the opposition parties announced their intention to contest the elections based on a shared agenda and state-specific strategies, putting aside their differences with a flexible approach.

When asked about opponents ridiculing the gathering as "19 prime ministerial post aspirants," Sharad Pawar dismissed such remarks as childish. He clarified that the meeting did not revolve around discussions on the prime ministerial post. Instead, the participants focused on issues related to inflation, unemployment, and deliberate attempts to fuel communal tensions in certain regions. Pawar emphasized the BJP's alleged role in attempting to create divisions among communities.

The absence of explicit talks about the prime ministerial candidate raises questions about the Opposition's strategy and the potential impact on their unity as they prepare to take on the BJP in the upcoming elections.