Administrative services queue: Kejriwal to meet Mamata, Pawar, Uddhav to seek support
NEW DELHI : Locked in a bitter battle with the Center over the control of administrative services, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal will meet with the leaders of the TMC, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP this week to seek their support.
Kejriwal said on Sunday that he would meet his West Bengal counterpart and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday. And according to AAP sources, he will meet former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Wednesday and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar on May 25.
Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met Kejriwal at his residence here and assured him their “full support” on the matter.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JD(U) leader Kumar assured that he would urge other opposition parties to also support Kejriwal in this matter.
The center issued an ordinance on Friday to establish a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of IAS and DANICS executives and disciplinary proceedings against them.
This came a week after the Supreme Court handed over control of services except those related to police, law and order and land to the elected government in Delhi.
A regulation must be ratified by parliament within six months. This will require the Center to introduce a bill for approval in both Houses of Parliament.
Kejriwal said that if the bill is defeated in Rajya Sabha, it will send the message that the BJP will lose the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“It will be the semi-finals of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” the AAP national consultant told reporters.
Kejriwal told reporters that he will personally contact the leaders of all opposition parties to seek their support in the matter so that any bill introduced by the Center to replace the ordinance will be rejected in Rajya Sabha.
“The day after tomorrow (Tuesday) at 3pm I will meet with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. Then I will meet with the president of each party to seek their formal support for defeating the bill when it comes in Rajya Sabha,” said Kejriwal.
“I have also requested Nitish Kumar ji to talk to all (opposition) parties about this,” he added.