Efforts for opposition unity pick up pace: Yechury after meeting Bihar CM

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said efforts for opposition unity have picked up the pace ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and seat adjustments will be made at the state level. Speaking to the media after meeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here, Yechury indicated that a third front was a possibility.

"Efforts for opposition unity have picked up the pace. An opposition coalition will be formed and seat adjustments will be done at the state level," the CPI(M) general secretary said.

"In Kerala, Congress and our party are arch rivals. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not in a fight there," he said.


He further said that the third front that is going to be formed will always be after the elections.

"But in India, fronts are formed post polls such as United Front in 1996, in 1998 NDA was formed after elections, UPA formed post polls in 2004," Yechury said.

Earlier, Bihar CM Kumar, who on Wednesday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi as part of his initiative to forge an alliance of opposition parties, met Yechury here.

Later, Yechury tweeted, "With Bihar CM Shri Nitish Kumar to carry forward the efforts to unite secular democratic parties to safeguard the Indian Republic, Constitution and democracy, severely assaulted by the BJP & Modi govt. Defeat the BJP in order to save India & people's livelihoods (sic)."

The Bihar CM also met CPI general secretary D Raja on Thursday.

"Had a meeting with JD(U) leader & Bihar CM Shri Nitish Kumar to discuss broad issues of opposition unity against RSS-BJP. The country is in turmoil and all sections of society are vocal against BJP misrule. Unity of secular-democratic forces is must to protect our democracy and people," said Raja in a tweet after the meeting.