Kolkata/IBNS: Bihar Chief Minister and a Modi rival, Nitish Kumar will meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav in his own effort to stitch an Opposition unity in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, media reports said.

Nitish is scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting with Mamata at the latter's office Nabanna at 2 pm.

Later, the Bihar Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Lucknow to meet Akhilesh, who is the prime opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.

Mamata, who is one of the strongest voices against the BJP which rules the Centre, has recently met a number of regional leaders including Akhilesh.

Quite contrary to Nitish's view of Opposition unity, Mamata and Akhilesh expressed more interest in forming a camp of regional parties, who are undoubtedly taking on the BJP in their respective states powerfully.

Nitish's model of Opposition unity includes the beleaguered Congress, which is still the largest but a shrinking opposition force in the country.

The BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will face the second re-election in 2024.

(Image Credit: IBNS File/Nitish Kumar Facebook/UNI)