Patna: In a bold declaration, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, announced that the opposition alliance under the banner of ‘India’ is gearing up to collectively face the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The crucial meeting of the India Alliance is scheduled for tomorrow in Delhi, bringing together key leaders such as Lalu Yadav, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, among other prominent figures.
VIDEO | "We all have to fight unitedly," says RJD chief @laluprasadrjd ahead of the INDIA alliance meeting. pic.twitter.com/ZLefGi1Ubl
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 18, 2023
This meeting holds particular significance as it marks the first gathering of the alliance since the release of assembly election results from five states. The recent victories for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh have added momentum to their political standing.
For the Congress, however, the election results were perceived as a setback, with substantial gains seen only in Telangana. Despite this, Lalu Yadav asserted, “We are going to the meeting. Everyone has to fight (the elections) together.”
Addressing a question regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s claim of a ‘guaranteed victory,’ Lalu Yadav responded, “Every day we ask the same thing, what is Narendra Modi? If he comes (after winning the Lok Sabha elections), then come.”
Responding to his statement, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, took a jibe at INDI Alliance, and said, “If anyone in the INDI alliance has courage then one person should contest elections against Narendra Modi in Varanasi…This is all an excuse…If there is courage then I challenge Nitish Kumar to become PM Modi. Contest elections from Varanasi against.
#WATCH पटना: केंद्रीय मंत्री गिरिराज सिंह ने कहा, "अगर INDI गठबंधन में किसी में हिम्मत है तो एक व्यक्ति वाराणसी में नरेंद्र मोदी के खिलाफ चुनाव लड़े…यह सब बहाना है…अगर हिम्मत है तो मैं चुनौती देता हूं कि नीतीश कुमार PM मोदी के खिलाफ वाराणसी से चुनाव लड़ें।" pic.twitter.com/CwfB9Y08fI
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) December 18, 2023
In the wake of BJP’s success in three states, they hailed it as ‘PM Modi’s guaranteed victory.’ Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence, stating, “After the assembly election results, many people are saying that the hat-trick of his government is confirmed.”
Dismissing these claims, Lalu Yadav emphasized, “There is a meeting (in Delhi), we are going. We will fight (the elections) together and remove them (the Narendra Modi-led central government).” The upcoming India Alliance meeting sets the stage for a unified opposition, presenting a formidable challenge to the current political landscape.