Lucknow, April 24 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who are trying to unite the maximum number of opposition parties ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections, met Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav here on Monday.

Addressing a press conference after the 45-minute meeting, Kumar said that he is trying to unite as many opposition parties as possible to save the country from the misrule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said that in this series he had an interaction with the SP president.

He said, "The BJP government is not doing any work in public interest and the interest of the country, but is only engaged in spreading propaganda. Opposition unity is very much needed at this time in the interest of the nation."

Earlier, SP president Akhilesh, while indicating his participation in the opposition unity, said, "In the BJP government both democracy and the Constitution are in trouble. The labourers, farmers and poor are in trouble Due to the wrong economic policies of the BJP government. Inflation and unemployment are at peak. We are together to remove BJP. We are with you in this campaign that BJP should be removed and the country is saved."

The Bihar CM said that if the opposition parties work together, the country will get freedom from BJP. He alleged that the BJP was trying to change the history of the country.

He said, "It is necessary for all the opposition parties to be united in order to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections to be held next year. That's why I am already talking to everyone and will continue to talk further. It is my effort that all the parties fight together, which will benefit everyone and it will be good for the country."

On being asked whether a leader has been selected to lead the joint opposition, the Janata Dal (United) president said, "We will unite all the parties in the public interest. If everyone unites then together they will elect a leader. I don't want to be the leader. We are only engaged in uniting everyone. We will only work in the interest of the country and the rest of the people will do all the work together. If everyone works together with love, the result will be very good."

Avoiding the question of meeting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, he said, "As of now I am meeting him (Akhilesh)."

Expressing affinity with UP, Kumar said, "Bihar's relation with UP is well known and we all are socialist people. Our relationship is similar. Our Guru is one."

Nitish along with Deputy CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RLD) leader Tejaswi reached Lucknow amid light rain and were received by SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav and state president Naresh Uttam Patel at the airport.

At the party office, Akhilesh warmly welcomed both the leaders by giving them bouquets. After this leaders of the two parties held closed-door discussions.

It may be noted that Nitish had earlier met Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. Though the SP has already made it clear that it will fight the Lok Sabha elections on its own.

The Bihar CM also met Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.