Tejashwi meets Rahul, discusses 'grand alliance' for 2019 polls

After a major boost for a united opposition in the Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls last month, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday met Congress President Rahul Gandhi and discussed forging of a "grand alliance" ahead of the 2019 general elections to defeat the BJP.

Tejashwi said that he along with other opposition leaders are committed to take the nation out of a climate of fear generated by the "right-wing authoritarian regime".

According to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) sources, Tejashwi met Gandhi at the latter's residence here.

"We are here not to form governments but to transform the lives of the downtrodden against the wishes of the current right-wing authoritarian regime. Our togetherness is aimed at protecting the Constitution, secular and democratic values and goals of social justice. We shall fight, we shall win," Yadav tweeted along with a picture with Gandhi.

"Fruitful meeting with @RahulGandhiji. Bliss was it to be in that dawn, to be young was all the more heaven. We are committed to take the nation out of a climate of fear generated by this regime. Watch out! Shall come out with a committed programme for farmers, youth, women, poor," he added.

The united opposition defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kairana Lok Sabha by-election in Uttar Pradesh and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra and nine other Assembly seats.

Lalu Prasad's RJD defeated BJP-Janata Dal-United joint candidate in Bihar's Jokihat Assembly seat.

Tejashwi, a former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and currently the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, said the bypoll loss in Jokihat was a lesson for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who broke away from the anti-BJP Grand Alliance and joined hands with the BJP in Bihar.

--IANS

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