Opposition unity doesn't mean weakening Congress: Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Former Union Minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday spoke about opposition parties coming together for the General Elections 2024 and stressed that 'opposition unity doesn't mean weakening Congress.' He further added that 'a strong Congress is an important pillar of Opposition unity.' "Opposition unity doesn't mean weakening Congress. Our allies should also understand that we will not allow ourselves to be weakened further. We will strengthen ourselves. A strong Congress is an important pillar of Opposition unity," said Jairam Ramesh during a press conference at AICC headquarters in Delhi today.

The Congress leader further claimed that BJP is 'rattled' by the kind of support 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi has garnered. "I am happy that after the Bharat Jodo Yatra, everybody has seen that the elephant has awakened, the elephant is moving forward and all parties are seeing what the Congress is doing," he said.

Jairam Ramesh also noted that the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was aimed at strengthening the party organisation but 'if it brings unity in Opposition, we welcome it.'

"I had said the Bharat Jodo Yatra would not be a Mann Ki Baat but about people's concerns. I did not know it would also become a concern for the BJP. They are rattled," the senior Congress leader added.

Jairam Ramesh's remark on the Opposition unity comes in the backdrop of several meetings between Congress leaders and other opposition parties on the agenda of 'unity' ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Bihar CM and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar met with several leaders of the opposition including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while in Delhi last week.

"I am doing my job to unite the opposition leaders and my efforts will continue. I firmly believe that the opposition leaders will be united soon and everyone will contribute to fighting against the BJP. The decision on the Prime Ministerial candidate will be final in two to three months. At present, I am not the Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition parties," Kumar said at the time.