New Delhi: A day after five Janata Dal-United JD(U) MLAs joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Manipur, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, expressing outrage, wondered if it was ‘constitutional’ and affirmed that the scenario would be different after the Opposition parties unite ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Talking to reporters in Patna on Saturday, where a two-day national conclave is underway, CM Kumar questioned the propriety and constitutionality of the alleged poaching by the saffron party.
Kumar said that the party’s Manipur MLAs had confirmed their presence at the meeting and had earlier backed JD(U)’s decision to quit the NDA.
“When we were in NDA, they (BJP) gave our MLAs nothing. Now they have been won over,” news agency PTI quoted Kumar as saying.
“Is it proper? Is it constitutional? Is it in line with established norms? They are doing so everywhere. Hence all parties must unite in 2024 for a positive mandate,” said the JD(U) leader, who is being pitched for a “national” role by his party.
It is to be noted that five JD(U) MLAs joined the ruling BJP in Manipur. The JD(U) had won six of the 38 constituencies it had contested in the assembly elections held in March.
According to a statement by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly was pleased to accept the merger of the JD(U) MLAs with the BJP under the tenth schedule of the Constitution.
Notably, this development comes after CM Kumar moved out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to join the Grand Alliance (GA) in August and vowed to work for Opposition unity across the country ahead of the 2024 general elections to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, asked whether he would visit Delhi in the next few days to meet top leaders and explore the prospects of Opposition unity, CM Kumar replied in the affirmative, however, did not divulge further details.