“Take a pledge to oust BJP in 2024 by remaining united to protect the country and the minorities,” Lalu said while digitally addressing from Delhi a rally of the mahagathbandhan in Purnia.
Mahagathbandhan rally in Purnia: Amit Shah visit will have no impact in 2024 polls, says Tejashwi Yadav
Nitish asked Congress to ponder who would benefit from the 2024 polls if the party doesn’t quickly decide on uniting non-BJP opposition parties across the country. If you want to get rid of them (BJP), you will have to take a quick decision,” he said. “BJP will not get 100 seats in the 2024 polls if we contest the election unitedly,” he said, turning to state Congress chief and Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad Singh, who was on the dais. Referring to swirling speculation about the formation of a new Union territory by hiving off four districts of Seemanchal from Bihar and some regions of neighbouring north Bengal days ahead of Union home minister Amit Shah’s Purnia rally last year, Nitish said BJP wanted to divide the state but “we will not allow this to happen”.
The CM warned the people of minority-dominated Seemanchal region not to get lured by parties like AIMIM because any vote to Asaduddin Owaisi’s outfit would help BJP. AIMIM won five of the 24 assembly seats in Seemanchal in 2020, but its four MLAs later joined RJD. For his part, Lalu alleged that BJP and RSS are against reservation for marginalised communities in jobs and education, and PM Modi is executing what RSS tells him to.Watch Bihar: Lalu Yadav urges to save minorities’ rights at ‘Mahagathbandhan’ rally in Purnea