Only heads of respective parties, not their representatives, should be at Opposition meet: Nitish Kumar

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that a new date for the much talked about Opposition meeting will be announced after consultation with all parties

“All parties which agree to attend the meeting, must be represented by their respective heads,” says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. File | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal(U) leader Nitish Kumar on June 5 said an Opposition meeting scheduled to be held in Patna on June 12 has been postponed as the Congress and some other parties had a problem with the date.

Mr. Kumar said he had asked the Congress to suggest a new date after consulting with other parties.

“We had to put off the June 12 meeting after the Congress and some other parties conveyed to me that they found the date inconvenient. I have now decided to postpone the meet and asked the Congress to suggest a new date after consultation among themselves and with other parties as well. But, I have made one thing very clear that all parties which have agreed to attend the meeting must be represented by their respective heads and not by their representatives,” Mr. Kumar said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi had informed Mr. Kumar of their inability to participate in the meeting on June 12 due to “scheduling issues”.

The party had said that it would send representatives in their place. State Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh last week said the party was planning to send a Chief Minister and a senior party leader to the meeting.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M.K. Stalin, too, had expressed his inability to join the meeting on June 12 due to certain official engagement.

Mr. Kumar said the new date “will be announced after consultation with all other parties but, I wonder if the meeting will take place very soon”.

JD(U) sources said the meeting could now be held on June 23, after Mr. Gandhi returns from his U.S. tour. “Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is to return to the country from his foreign tour on June 18 and after that the Opposition’s meet will be held, most likely on June 23, though it has not been finalised yet,” a senior JD(U) leader said.