CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Friday asserted that the opposition parties that met in Patna had not decided the Prime Ministerial candidate yet. “All leaders have a single goal of defeating the BJP. We thought all should unite and that unity has taken place in Patna,” he told reporters, minutes after landing at the Chennai airport after participating in the opposition parties’ meeting hosted by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in Patna.
At the meeting of 17 opposition parties, including chief ministers, Stalin recalled the success of unity of the secular parties in Tamil Nadu and insisted on such unity at the national level to oust the BJP. “Unity is the key to success. There is no doubt that the BJP will be defeated at the national level,” Stalin said, recounting his Patna visit. “It is now an embryo. It may take a few more months to develop,” he said. Soon after landing in Patna on Thursday night, the DMK chief visited former chief minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav at his residence and sought his blessings.
At the meeting, Stalin said he had made suggestions like drafting a common minimum programme and allowing an influential party to lead the coalition in the state. If it is not possible to form a coalition in the state, seat-sharing arrangements can be made. Even if that is not possible, a general candidate can be declared. Stalin termed the formation of coalition post-elections an ‘inappropriate stand’ and instead called upon the parties to set up a joint action committee to resolve the issues.
The DMK chief, who has been a strident critic of the BJP, said Nitish Kumar had convened the meeting with the aim to defeat the BJP government at the Centre. He said the parties were clear that if they wanted to save democracy, secularism, pluralism, oppressed sections and the poor, the BJP should not be allowed to return to office. “I mentioned in my speech earlier in the day that parties must be firm on this till the end. I categorically said the only thing that should go down in history should be – the parties met on June 23, 2023 and won in May 2024,” Stalin said. The chief minister said he could not be present at the press briefing by the leaders in Patna as he had to catch a flight back.
At the meeting of 17 opposition parties, including chief ministers, Stalin recalled the success of unity of the secular parties in Tamil Nadu and insisted on such unity at the national level to oust the BJP. “Unity is the key to success. There is no doubt that the BJP will be defeated at the national level,” Stalin said, recounting his Patna visit. “It is now an embryo. It may take a few more months to develop,” he said. Soon after landing in Patna on Thursday night, the DMK chief visited former chief minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav at his residence and sought his blessings.
At the meeting, Stalin said he had made suggestions like drafting a common minimum programme and allowing an influential party to lead the coalition in the state. If it is not possible to form a coalition in the state, seat-sharing arrangements can be made. Even if that is not possible, a general candidate can be declared. Stalin termed the formation of coalition post-elections an ‘inappropriate stand’ and instead called upon the parties to set up a joint action committee to resolve the issues.
The DMK chief, who has been a strident critic of the BJP, said Nitish Kumar had convened the meeting with the aim to defeat the BJP government at the Centre. He said the parties were clear that if they wanted to save democracy, secularism, pluralism, oppressed sections and the poor, the BJP should not be allowed to return to office. “I mentioned in my speech earlier in the day that parties must be firm on this till the end. I categorically said the only thing that should go down in history should be – the parties met on June 23, 2023 and won in May 2024,” Stalin said. The chief minister said he could not be present at the press briefing by the leaders in Patna as he had to catch a flight back.
