NEW DELHI: The AAP on Wednesday said it will contest all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in the 2024 general elections and launch a campaign to tell people that the Centre’s ordinance on control of administrative services in the capital is against them. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with AAP leaders from Delhi and Haryana, party general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak also stressed the need for opposition parties to unite against the BJP and said it depends on the Congress’ “attitude”.
The Centre promulgated the ordinance on May 19 to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in the capital, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government. While the AAP has managed to garner support of several non-BJP parties on the issue, the Congress is yet to denounce the ordinance. Pathak said the AAP is preparing to contest all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in the 2024 general elections.
He said the party’s campaign will focus on telling people that the Centre’s “black ordinance” on control of administrative services in the national capital is against them. “We will tell people that the black ordinance is not anti-Kejriwal but anti-people. The other issues are the BJP wanting to end opposition parties and the work done by the Modi government during its nine years in office. If someone can talk about four things done by the Modi government, I will congratulate them,” he said.
Pathak also accused the Modi government of “ruining” central agencies like the CBI and ED. He further said opposition parties should come together to overthrow the BJP. This, however, depends on the Congress, he said. “If the Congress is openhearted and willing to take everyone along, anything is possible. But if it is arrogant, things will be difficult,” Pathak elaborated. On June 23, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had attended a meeting of Opposition leaders in Patna. However, soon afterwards, AAP claimed the Congress had refused to publicly denounce the ordinance and due to this, it would be “very difficult” for it to be part of any alliance with the party.