Patna (Bihar), September 3: A day after five Janata Dal (United) MLAs from Manipur merged with the ruling BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar affirmed that the opposition will unite for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"When we parted ways from NDA, all our six Manipur MLAs came and met us. They assured us that they were with JDU. We need to think about what is going on. They are breaking away the MLAs from the parties, is it constitutional?," said CM Nitish Kumar said on Saturday.
He further said that "Opposition will unify for 2024 elections."
Five JDU MLAs merged with the ruling party BJP on Friday, according to a statement from Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat.
As per the statement, "the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly is pleased to accept the merger of five JD(U) MLAs with the BJP under the tenth schedule of the Constitution." They are Joykishan Singh, Ngursanglur Sanate, Md. Achab Uddin, Thangjam Arunkumar and LM Khaute.
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In the recently held Assembly elections in Manipur, the results of which were announced on March 10, the BJP had secured a majority of 32 seats in the 60-member state Assembly.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the majority of JDU MLAs earlier defected to the BJP.
In the presence of national president JP Nadda and Arunachal Pradesh chief executive Pema Khandu, Techi Kaso, the sole JDU MLA from Arunachal Pradesh, joined the BJP back on August 25. With this move, the BJP currently holds 49 of the 60 Assembly seats (MLA).
The latest political developments came weeks after Nitish Kumar dumped BJP and joined hands with Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress and other parties to form a 'mahagathbandhan.'
According to those who are aware of the development, the BJP has made the decision to retaliate against the JDU after the recent events in Bihar. In 2020, Nitish Kumar was appointed Chief Minister after the BJP and JD(U) formed an electoral alliance and won the elections.
In less than two years, Nitish Kumar changed his mind and unexpectedly forged an alliance with the RJD and Congress to establish a "Grand Alliance" government in Bihar.
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-PTC News