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Journalism of Courage
A large poster of Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar put up outside his party’s headquarters on Bir Chand Patel Path in the heart of Patna shows him gesturing with his right hand to make a point. The message blazoned on the poster reads, “Mann ki nahi, kaam ki (not musings, but work),” which apparently takes a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Mann ki Baat” programme.
Alongside this poster is a banner that says: “Aagaaz hua, badlau hoga (we have made the beginning, change would follow)”. This is a reference to the first joint meeting of the Opposition parties to be held in Patna on June 23. Top leaders of about 20 Opposition parties from across the country are set to attend this mega rally, which is expected to unveil their common action plan to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The CM House on 1 Anney Marg is gearing up to host the lunch and dinner for the Opposition leaders during June 22-23 with Bihari cuisine also set to be part of the menu on both days.
Located nearby, on Bir Chand Patel Path, is the State Guest House, which is also being readied amid tight security for the stay of the VIP guests including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu CM and DMK president M K Stalin, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and ex-Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and SP president and ex-UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, among others.
While some leaders, including Mamata and Stalin, are landing in Patna on June 22, most of the Opposition leaders will arrive in Patna on June 23 (Friday) morning for the mega conclave, which is likely to conclude during the day.
Several leaders, including Kharge, Rahul, Mamata, Pawar and Uddhav, are likely to arrive in Patna by chartered planes. Most of the Opposition leaders would return to their respective destinations on the same day.
The banners and posters featuring the Opposition leaders have sprung up at key points of the capital city. While the JD (U) office puts up only Nitish’s posters and hoardings, the RJD office on Bir Chand Patel Path displays posters of party leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav with Akhilesh Yadav as well as with Nitish.
The BJP office on the same road showcases a big poster of PM Modi to mark his nine years in office.
The road leading to the Patna airport presents a collage of posters being put up by the activists of different political parties. The city’s lifeline Bailey Road as well as the airport road are splashed with posters, several of them hailing Rahul Gandhi which have been placed at prominent locations by the Congress workers.
At Income Tax Crossing on Bailey Road, a large poster carrying the images of almost all Opposition leaders including Nitish, Tejashwi, Kharge, Rahul and Stalin, have come up.
Another poster has been put up close to this site, which shows Kejriwal with Punjab CM and his party colleague Bhagwant Mann. It says: “Patna ki krantikari dharti par Arvind Kejriwal ka swagat aur abhinandan (Patna’s revolutionary land welcomes and greets Arvind Kejriwal).”
Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh told The Indian Express, “We have made foolproof security arrangements for June 23 Patna meet.”
A source in the CM House said, “There would be a lot of Bihari dishes including Silao ka khaja, Gaya’s lai besides the favourite dish of litti-chokha for June 22 dinner and June 23 lunch and dinner.”
JD (U) chief spokesperson K C Tyagi told The Indian Express: “The way several leaders from Opposition parties responded is a great indicator for grand success of the Opposition meet in Patna. Our goal is to come out with a common minimum programme. We have crossed the first step towards our objective of taking on the BJP in a big way in the 2024 polls”.
RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta said, “The Opposition unity would set the tone for the 2024 elections’ preparations. We are united on the common cause of offering an alternative that can restore democratic values.”
