Will Nitish Kumar be Opposition's PM candidate in 2024? Telangana CM KCR says THIS

Patna: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s high-profile Bihar meeting yielded nothing much on his next political move although he gave a call for ‘BJP Mukt Bharat.’ The TRS chief on Wednesday undertook a whirlwind tour of the Bihar capital where he met top political leaders including chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Addressing a press conference, the Telangana chief minister, who is also popularly known as ‘KCR’, stressed on the need for a united opposition to take on the BJP's hegemony. In his address, KCR invoked ‘Loknayak’ Jayaprakash Narayan's ‘Kranti’ (revolution) against ‘tanashahi’ (dictatorship) to target the Narendra Modi-powered BJP.

KCR, however, evaded a direct reply when asked as to what role will Congress play in their collective fight against the BJP.  Replying to this, the TRS chief added that his endeavour was to build an alternative that was ‘not a third front, but the main front’ to fight the divisive politics of the BJP, which is playing the dangerous game of whipping up communal passions for its own petty political gains.

When asked whether Nitish Kumar, who for long has been fancied as a potential challenger to charismatic PM Modi, could be the prime ministerial candidate of a united opposition in the 2024 polls, KCR said, “Bade bhai (big brother) Nitish Ji is one of the best and senior-most leaders in the country. I am nobody to take a decision. It will be decided when all opposition parties sit together.”

When faced with a pointed query about the role of the Congress in a united opposition and acceptability of Rahul Gandhi, he retorted that “you may be smart, but I am smarter. There is no hurry. Everything will be decided in due course.”

“We must endeavour to drive the BJP out of power, by whatever means possible,” he asserted. KCR spared no opportunity in attacking the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, alleging that the economy was in a mess, as evident from rising prices, increased indebtedness and the rupee in a state of free fall.

The Telangana CM spent most of his time at his Bihar counterpart's residence before visiting Lalu Prasad who lives a few hundred metres away. He began his day by giving away doles to family members of soldiers from Bihar killed in the Galwan Valley clash with Chinese troops and migrant labourers who died in a fire in Hyderabad.