Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar predicted on Friday that the Lok Sabha polls may be scheduled earlier than anticipated, citing the ruling BJP’s apprehension regarding his efforts to unite the Opposition.
“What I said was in jest, but the possibility cannot be ruled out. The current dispensation may feel that if our opposition unity bid gathered momentum, it would inflict on them bigger losses. So they could take recourse to early polls,” the Bihar Chief Minister said.
The general assembly elections are due in March-April next year.
Kumar was speaking to the media after the swearing-in of JD(U) MLA Ratnesh Sada into the state Cabinet.
The statement comes days ahead of the crucial Opposition meeting in Patna on June 23 to chart the roadmap for 2024 polls.
“Therefore, all opposition parties must come together to defeat the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. We must start preparations after the June 23 meeting,” he added.
Top leaders from several parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Sharad Pawar, MK Stalin, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Farooq Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, are expected to attend the upcoming meeting.
Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday echoed Kumar’s speculation and said, “You never know, it is possible….. Everything is in the hands of the ruling dispensation at the Centre.”
