Ahead of the meeting of Opposition parties in Patna on June 23, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (U) leader Nitish Kumar on Tuesday cancelled his scheduled visit to Chennai, citing health reasons. Instead, Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, along with Cabinet colleague and JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, left for Chennai to invite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to the meet.
Mr. Kumar was scheduled to inaugurate a memorial to former TN Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president late M. Karunanidhi in Tiruvarur district and return to Patna on June 21. He was also to invite Mr. Stalin to the Opposition parties’ meeting in Patna. Leaders of about 16 Opposition parties will attend the meeting convened to put up a joint front against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming general election in 2024.
No official reason was given for the last-minute cancellation of Mr. Kumar’s visit to Tamil Nadu but his Cabinet colleague and close confidant, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, told mediapersons that “since Mr. Kumar was not keeping well, he cancelled the visit”.
