Nitish Kumar & Akhilesh together? 'UP + Bihar = Gayi Modi Sarkar' poster creates buzz

As Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attempts to bring Opposition parties together for 2024 polls, Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh appears to have joined the bandwagon. 

Days after Nitish Kumar's meeting with SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, a poster has been put up outside the party office in Lucknow which reads: "UP + Bihar = Gayi Modi Sarkar". The poster, displayed by SP leader IP Singh, features smiling Nitish Kumar and Akhilesh Yadav waving at the public.

The development comes amid the Bihar CM's call for a "main front" of non-BJP parties to take on the ruling alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. On Wednesday, the Janata Dal (United) leader wrapped up his meetings with several Opposition leaders in Delhi and expressed the hope that they will slowly veer towards having a structured program and agenda for 2024.

Kumar has so far met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, INLD supremo OP Chautala and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav. In Delhi, he also met fellow Bihar leader Sharad Yadav, who was once president of the JDU.

Nitish Kumar seeks support of Yadavs in UP

The Yadavs - Mulayam Singh, Lalu Prasad, and Sharad - were once together with Nitish Kumar and OP Chautala under the Lok-Janata Dal umbrella, before parting ways in the 1990s. 

Since then, the factions have emerged as regional forces. With the Congress weakened, a combined force of regional parties is being seen as a means to unseat the BJP in the General Elections.

Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party recently witnessed an increase in seats in UP even as the BJP under Yogi Adityanath retained power. Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the single largest party in Bihar joined hands with JDU.

Notably, Nitish Kumar, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and several Opposition leaders are set to come together for the Indian National Lok Dal’s public rally on September 25 in Haryana. 

INLD supremo OP Chautala has invited NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, SP president Akhilesh Yadav, his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik, among others.