Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal is likely to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata today, news agency PTI has reported citing an official.
AAP supremo is trying to drum up opposition support over his government’s fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital.
As per PTI, Kejriwal is scheduled to land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the afternoon, following which he will visit the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief.
“They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year’s general elections,” a senior TMC leader told PTI. Moreover, the AAP chief is also likely to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.
Earlier, Kejriwal met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter also extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter. The meeting came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi. Kejriwal had on Saturday said that the ordinance was “unconstitutional” and they will challenge it in the apex court.
Nitish Kumar had said the Centre’s actions were “strange” and “baffling”. “How can you take away an elected government’s power,” the Janata Dal (United) leader asked. The Bihar chief minister said Kejriwal is doing good work in Delhi and it’s surprising that his government is being stopped from doing its work. “That’s why we are saying that all (opposition parties) in the country should come together,” he had added.
Some sources also said that the Congress is likely to oppose in Parliament a bill, when it is brought, that will seek to replace a Union government Ordinance on Delhi’s Services matters. Sources in the party, meanwhile, said the Congress may oppose the bill when the government brings it in Parliament to replace the Ordinance that essentially upturn the Supreme Court verdict
Earlier on Monday, AAP said it will organise a ‘maha rally’ on 11 June against the Centre’s ‘black ordinance’ that effectively gives the lieutenant governor control over administrative services, negating a Supreme Court order in favour of the Kejriwal dispensation.
During a press conference, AAP’s Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said, “This ordinance shows that the Centre will impose “dictatorial decisions” like this on the country. He appealed to Delhiites to join the rally in large numbers.
The Centre promulgated the ordinance on May 19 to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them.