'Food for thought': Opposition leaders relish Bihar's litti-chokha, Malda mangoes

At a post-meeting press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "Nitish (Kumar) ji has treated us to all the dishes of Bihar at lunch, from litti chokha to special gulab jamuns."

Patna: Opposition leaders gathered here on Friday for serious discussions about unitedly taking on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, but also devoured Bihar's famous litti chokha and "Malda mangoes" to sweeten ties. The opposition meeting went on for a good four hours, including lunch, which the leaders enjoyed together.

At a post-meeting press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "Nitish (Kumar) ji has treated us to all the dishes of Bihar at lunch, from litti chokha to special gulab jamuns." Another opposition leader said, "It was a wonderful spread of Bihar's cuisine with litti chokha being everyone's favourite. There were also special gulab jamuns and Malda mangoes, popular in this part of the country, that we relished."

The meeting was hosted by Kumar at his 1, Aney Marg residence here. The opposition parties resolved to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. At a joint press conference, the leaders of the parties said they would fight the election on a common agenda and with state-wise strategies, setting aside their differences with a flexible approach. The plan of action is expected to be formulated at another meeting to be chaired by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, tentatively on July 10 or 12, in Shimla.