Patna (Bihar) [India], June 22 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the Opposition parties will fight the BJP at the Centre like a collective family in next year's Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier in the day, Mamata arrived in Patna ahead of the mega meeting of Opposition leaders on Friday. The meeting, convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is aimed at rallying like-minded Opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, with an eye on the next general elections.
On her arrival in Patna, Mamata called on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch and former Bihar CM Lalu Yadav and his son and current Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.
Speaking to reporters in the Bihar capital, Mamata said, "It was wonderful to meet Lalu Prasad Yadav-ji. He is a senior leader. Unfortunately, he was in jail for so many days and then was hospitalised for a long time. It was good to see him. I cannot share the details of the meeting right now. All I can say is that we are here to fight collectively, like a family."
The mega Opposition meeting on Friday is aimed at laying the groundwork for the coming together of like-minded Opposition parties against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the Centre.
The meeting will be attended by Congress, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Uddhav Thackeray and others.
On June 22, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said there are many leaders, who are much more experienced than Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the country's reins, and all Opposition leaders will put forth their views on a grand alliance at the meeting.
"Nobody can deny the fact that there are many leaders in the Opposition, who are much more experienced than PM Modi (in handling the country's reins). All leaders will put forward their opinion at the meeting," Bihar Deputy CM said.
Nitish Kumar has been spearheading efforts to bring all Opposition parties together against the BJP government at the Centre, ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls, and has already held one-on-one meetings with several top Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) patriarch Sharad Pawar, among others.
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