BJP mocks Congress' meet to discuss Oppn's presidential candidate

New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): Taking a jibe at the meeting called by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to discuss the opposition's presidential candidate, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said the grand old party wants to keep itself busy with such meetings. Commenting on the decision of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to skip the meeting, BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI that the former has lost his identity in Bihar. Kohli asserted that the saffron party works towards progress of the country and not on who is meeting and for what. "Who is going to interact with Sonia Gandhi ji- meet her or not meet her that is for them to decide; but as far as the BJP is concerned our agenda is what our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji in the last three years of his government has been working on- 'Sab ka sath sab ka vikas' (Something for everyone) to make India as we call it, 'Ek bharat shreshtha bharat' and our government is working on the progress towards every sector. If the opposition wants to keep themselves busy with political meetings it is for them to decide, we have nothing to say in it," he added. Resonating similar views, another BJP leader Rameshwar Chaurasia said such meetings would not be of any help towards the country. "The opposition have total right to meet and greet each other, they can organise such meeting whenever they want. But what I feel is; the way BJP has been taking our country towards development and progress- it has become difficult for the opposition to digest it," Chaurasia told ANI. Further taking a jibe at the opposition, Chaurasia asserted that Nitish Kumar has lost his identity in Bihar. "Only to combat the current government, the opposition is planning these meetings and the people who hold all these meeting are the ones who are alleged into corruption and fraud cases. If you go to see, the people of the country know the truth for which the opposition are not going to be elected again. And also one thing is for sure that Nitish Kumar has lost his identity and respects in Bihar even after all these meeting he can never come to power again," Chaurasia said. Nitish Kumar yesterday asserted that he will not be participating in the Opposition party's luncheon organised by Sonia Gandhi where they would be exploring the possibility of fielding a joint candidate for the presidential election. Janata Dal (United) (JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav, who is also a likely a contender for the post, however, will be in attendance. The meeting is likely to be held in the Parliament House complex. Other leaders attending the meeting include, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) Sitaram Yechury, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, however, is missing from the list of invitees. The main opposition Congress is seeking a larger unity among non-NDA parties ahead of the presidential election which could be taken forward to the upcoming assembly polls in states like Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, besides the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Ahead of Friday's meeting, a series of parleys have already happened between these leaders on the issue of putting up a joint opposition candidate to take on the official NDA nominee. (ANI)