Nitish Kumar's key meet on June 23, is the dream of Opposition unity within reach?

The anticipated meeting of Opposition parties, under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, originally slated for June 12 in Patna, has now been rescheduled to take place on June 23. Announcing the date for the meeting, the Janata Dal (United) has confirmed the participation of prominent leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this crucial gathering.

Addressing a press conference, JD(U) national president Lalan Singh said, "The Opposition meeting will be held on June 23, in Patna. All opposition parties have agreed to this." Speaking about the participants, Singh said, "Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Uddhav Thackeray, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, CPI Gen Secy D Raja, Sitaram Yechury and Dipankar Bhattacharya will attend the meet."

The JD(U) leader, however, dismissed the question regarding speculations that the Congress was determined to contest "at least 350 seats". "The country is witnessing a state of undeclared emergency. The top priority of all like-minded parties is to rid the country of the BJP," he said.

DyCM Tejashwi Yadav emphasised the importance of the upcoming Opposition meeting. "Opposition unity is a dream of our honourable Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and respectable RJD president Lalu Prasad. The meeting on June 23 is going to be a very important step in that direction," the RJD leader said.

'Will succeed in defeating divisive forces in power': Congress

Congress also confirmed the attendance of Gandhi and Kharge for the June 23 meeting in Patna. In his tweet, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said that the Opposition meeting is the "need of the hour".

"INC President Mallikarjun Kharge ji and Rahul Gandhi ji will be attending the joint opposition leaders’ meeting on June 23 in Patna," Venugopal said. "We believe that our unity and commitment to the purpose of defending democracy is the need of the hour and we will succeed in defeating the divisive forces in power today," he added.

Is the dream of Opposition unity within reach?

In a bid to consolidate the fragmented landscape of Opposition parties prior to the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Nitish Kumar has been proactively engaging with key Opposition leaders. A crucial milestone in this endeavour is set to take place on June 23, when an anticipated meeting will convene. However, it is vital to distinguish between a mere gathering of opposition figures and the realization of a unified front.

Even if all the leaders representing various Opposition parties converge on a single platform orchestrated by the Chief Minister of Bihar, the formation of a cohesive alliance will be no easy feat. The prospect of forging a joint Opposition front prior to the 2024 elections raises pertinent questions that demand thoughtful consideration.

How will arch rivals such as Mamata Banerjee and the Left in West Bengal, the Congress and AAP in Delhi and Punjab, and the Congress and the Left in Kerala collaborate harmoniously?

The ability of Nitish Kumar to engineer Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 remains an intriguing prospect, one that observers eagerly await. Will it ultimately be a successful venture, or shall it be yet another unfruitful attempt? Only time will reveal the answer.