Patna (Bihar) : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Tamil Nadu tour has been cancelled at the last minute. On his behalf, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has now left for Chennai along with Minister Sanjay Jha. Both will participate in the program organized in memory of former TN Chief Minister Karuna Nidhi.
TN Chief Minister Stalin had invited Nitish Kumar to the program but the Bihar CM could not go there on health grounds, sources said. Nitish Kumar actually planned to go to TN and invite Stalin to attend the meeting of opposition parties in Patna on June 23. Nobody had information about the cancellation of his visit till the last moment. In fact, Tejashwi Yadav waited for Nitish Kumar for more than half an hour, but the CM did not turn up.
The reason why Nitish Kumar's Tamil Nadu tour was cancelled at the last moment is not clear yet. It is said that Nitish Kumar is busy with many government programs. Along with this, his poor health is also cited as a reason. In the last few years, relations between Stalin and Tejashwi Yadav have improved.
Earlier on March 1, Tejashwi Yadav reached Chennai on the 70th birthday of Chief Minister Stalin. Tejashwi wished him on his birthday. Both of them met when the TN police were taking action over YouTuber Manish Kashyap's fake video.
As per an earlier schedule, Nitish had to take part in the inauguration of various projects taken up by the ruling DMK in memory of late former CM M Karunanidhi. The venue is Tiruvarur, a native district of Karunanidhi. TN Chief Minister Stalin has invited Nitish Kumar and Tejaswhi to these programs being held as part of the Karunanidhi centenary celebrations.
This visit was scheduled three days ahead of a meeting of opposition parties is going to be held in Bihar on 23rd June. TN CM Stalin was also invited to attend the Patna meeting. CM Nitish Kumar is supposed to inaugurate a structure, named 'Kalaignar Kottam', built in memory of Karunanidhi, but his tour has been cancelled.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar's Patna meeting was postponed in the past. He planned a meeting of opposition parties on June 12 for opposition unity. It was postponed after CM Stalin had also expressed his inability to attend that meeting at that time.
Also Read : Nitish Kumar's Opposition meet in Patna 'postponed' to June 23
Stalin had requested Nitish Kumar to extend the date. Now the meeting of opposition parties is going to be held on June 23. As such, Nitish Kumar will once again request Stalin to attend this meeting.
Over 17 to 18 parties are invited to attend the meeting of opposition parties in Patna. The invitees include Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, National President Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, JDU national president Lalan Singh and TN CM Stalin.
Meanwhile, the BJP leaders claim that MK Stalin is not coming to the meeting of opposition parties organized by the Grand Alliance, so Nitish Kumar planned to go to Tamil Nadu to persuade him. Now it has to be seen which parties will participate in the meeting of opposition parties to be held on June 23 and whether they can stay together.
