Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is scheduled to meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar, as part of his effort to form a non-NDA coalition, according to reliable sources. Kumar has been meeting with various political leaders across the country as part of his “opposition unity drive” since breaking ties with the BJP last year and stating his intention to defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The meeting between Kumar and Patnaik is set to take place on Tuesday afternoon, and Kumar is expected to fly to Bhubaneswar in the morning and return the same evening. While speculation about the meeting has been circulating for some time, it has now been confirmed by the chief minister’s office.
Patnaik, who is one of the longest-serving chief ministers in the country and a former BJP ally, has been attempting to strike a balance between the Congress and the BJP. Kumar’s meeting with Patnaik is seen as an effort to bring non-NDA parties together.
Kumar has previously met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party, as well as former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, NCP President Sharad Pawar, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, among others.
During Kumar’s meeting with Banerjee, she requested that he organize a gathering of opposition leaders from across the country in Bihar. Kumar has suggested that such a gathering could take place following the Karnataka assembly elections.
The Karnataka election campaign has concluded, and voting will take place on Wednesday, with results expected on Saturday.
In March, Banerjee met with Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, and while there was speculation that the two leaders discussed potential political situations leading up to the 2024 elections, both have stated that there was no significant political talk.
