Bihar: All set for Mega Opposition Meet in Patna, Nitish Receives Rahul, Other Leaders at Airport

Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday received a warm welcome from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar upon arrival in the state capital for a crucial opposition meeting.

Gandhi, who is in Bihar for the first time after the state Assembly polls of 2020, was accompanied by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary in charge of organisation, K C Venugopal.

Kumar, accompanied by JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, drove to the Jayprakash Narayan airport to receive the visitors.

The airport premises has been, since morning, chock-a-block with Congress workers and supporters, eager to catch a glimpse of Gandhi, the response of whose 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' has infused the cadre with fresh vigour.

Upon landing in the city, Gandhi drove to Sadaqat Ashram, the Bihar Congress headquarters, to address party workers before attending the opposition meet.

The nearly 3km long route was dotted with banners inscribed with the slogan 'muhabbat ki dukaan' which became popular during 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in which Gandhi had asserted that the Congress stood for inclusive politics, in contrast with alleged divisiveness of BJP.

The BJP, on its part, tried to cock a snook at its principal adversary whose woes like disqualification appear to have only added to his political stature.

Close to the party's office here was a gigantic poster, not owned up by any BJP leader, that sought to berate Gandhi, likening him to Shah Rukh Khan's character in the movie 'Devdas'.

Gandhi's arrival at the airport was followed, shortly, by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and working presidents Supriya Sule and Praful Patel.

The city has been teeming with political bigwigs, pouring in from all parts of the country, who are expected to chalk out a joint strategy for taking on the formidable BJP in next Lok Sabha elections.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived early in the morning.

Many other leaders like Mehbooba Mufti, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and MK Stalin have been camping in the city since Thursday.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray are also expected at the meeting which is scheduled to commence around noon.

We are Going to Defeat BJP Together: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said all Opposition parties are going to defeat the BJP in the 2024 general elections unitedly.

Accusing the BJP of working to "divide India and spread hate and violence", he asserted that a fight of ideologies is going on in India.

On one hand, there is the Congress' 'Bharat Jodo' ideology and on the other the BJP and RSS' 'Bharat Todo' ideology, Gandhi said.

"All Opposition parties have come here and together we are going to defeat the BJP," the former Congress chief said, adding, "In Karnataka, the BJP leaders gave speeches and went everywhere but the result is there for you to see."

"As soon as the Congress stood united, the BJP disappeared in Karnataka. I am saying it from this stage that the BJP will be nowhere in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and the Congress will win," Gandhi claimed.

Nitish calls on Kejriwal, Mann, Stalin, Mamata

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday called on his Delhi and Punjab counterparts, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, respectively, as also Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

Kumar drove to the city hotel where Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party founder, is putting up with other AAP colleagues.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha shared pictures, on Twitter, of the meeting that took place shortly after the visitors returned from Takht Harmandir Patna Sahib, a Sikh shrine built at the site where Guru Gobind Singh was born.

Meanwhile, Kumar, who is in his 70s, seemed busy playing the perfect host as he travelled around the city meeting visitors like West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, CPI general secretary D Raja and CPI(ML) Liberation's Dipankar.