Nitish, Lalu to meet Sonia to discuss opposition consolidation for 2024 polls

New Delhi [India], September 25 (ANI): After backing Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United chief Nitish Kumar's prime ministerial ambitions, Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Yadav along with Nitish is all set to meet Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi in the national capital on Sunday to discuss the agenda other than 'opposition unity', sources said.
Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad will meet Sonia Gandhi at 6 pm in Delhi and holds much more important than it seems, the sources claimed.
As per Rashtriya Janata Dal sources, the meeting is important not only to strengthen the Opposition for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024 but for various reasons as the party chief will seek assurance from Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in the 'unity of the opposition to agree for compromises'.
Lalu and JDU chief Nitish Kumar will further ask Gandhi for the right to approach the Opposition camp by meeting the leaders of regional parties who are politically distant from Congress to join the alliance.
As per the sources, JDU and RJD chiefs are likely to approach Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR) Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana, Left in Kerala, Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), Odisha's Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Interestingly, Congress would be compromising if Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar get the "huge Right of Coordination" for bringing leaders to the opposition camp.
The campaign to unify the Opposition will speed up manifold if today's meeting of Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar with Sonia Gandhi succeeds.
It is pertinent to mention that it will be the first meeting between the three parties in more than five years.
Both the leaders are arriving in Delhi to attend a rally to be held in Fatehabad district in Haryana on the birth anniversary of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) founder late Devi Lal with INLD leader OP Chautala. (ANI)