After five year gap, Lalu Prasad, Nitish to meet Sonia Gandhi in Delhi today

New Delhi: Nitish Kumar, the president of Bihar's Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad will visit Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the nation's capital on Sunday in an effort to unify the whole opposition to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

It is important to note that this will be the first time in more than five years that the three parties will meet.

Both leaders are travelling to Delhi to attend a rally that will be held in the Fatehabad district on the anniversary of the birth of late Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) founder Chaudhary Devi Lal. The rally will be organised by INLD leader OP Chautala.

Lalu had earlier on Tuesday stated that he and Nitish Kumar would meet Sonia in Delhi.

"Everyone needs to be alert, BJP needs to be uprooted in 2024. I will go to Delhi and meet Sonia Gandhi soon. I will also meet Rahul Gandhi after the completion of his padyatra," said the RJD supremo.

Prashant Kishor, a poll strategist, disagreed, stating that seeing party leaders "would not make much of a difference" and that a "credible face" and widespread movement are needed to win the public's support in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Such gatherings, he argued, cannot be viewed as promoting political progress or opposition unity.

He further said, "Those who don't believe this need to wait and watch. It will certainly happen. I won't comment on whatever someone says".

During his most recent trip to Delhi, Nitish Kumar met with Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party. He also spoke with Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

After breaking his alliance with the BJP Kumar met with the opposition leaders

and joined forces with Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, and other parties to create a "Mahagathbandhan" administration in Bihar, ANI reported.

In an effort to bring the opposition together, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao previously travelled to Bihar and spoke with Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

In the meantime, Patna last month saw several posters of Nitish Kumar portraying him as a candidate for prime minister in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The JD(U) posted posters with the motto "Pradesh mein dikha, desh mein dikhega," which promised good administration.

Another poster has the text "Jumla Nahi Haqiqat Hai," (No lies only reality) making fun of the BJP.

Tejashwi Yadav had also previously said that Kumar might be a "strong candidate" for the position of Prime Minister in the 2024 elections.

In 2020, Nitish Kumar was appointed Chief Minister after the BJP and JD(U) formed an electoral coalition 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" administration in Bihar.