Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Thursday as part of his efforts to garner support of opposition parties against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in the national capital. Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, Kejriwal said Pawar has assured him support to defeat the bill which the Centre is likely to bring in to ratify the ordinance during the monsoon session of parliament.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann was also present at the meeting.
Kejriwal said if the BJP fails to get the bill passed in Rajya Sabha, it will be a testimony of the opposition unity and will also imply that the Narendra Modi government will not be able to return to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"Sharad Pawar ji has assured us that NCP will support us in defeating the Bill in Rajya Sabha. We are trying to gather support from all non-BJP parties against the Centre's ordinance on control of administrative services in the national capital," Kejriwal said.
Pawar said the NCP will support Kejriwal on the matter and that they will also talk to other leaders to support the Delhi CM.
"There is a crisis in the country and it's not an issue limited to Delhi. NCP and the people of Maharashtra will support Kejriwal. We will also talk to other leaders to support Kejriwal. We must focus on bringing all non-BJP parties together," Pawar said.
Kejriwal thanked the NCP chief for his support and said if all non-BJP parties come together, the bill can be defeated in Rajya Sabha. This is not a fight for Delhi, it is a fight for the federal structure," he said.
The AAP chief said he will seek time from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi to meet them over the issue.
On Wednesday, the Delhi chief minister had met Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. Prior to that he met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had met Kejriwal in Delhi on Sunday and extended support in his power tussle with the Centre. Nitish had also said that he would ask other opposition parties to support the AAP over the issue.
The Centre on Friday promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, with the AAP government calling the move a deception with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.