Kejriwal to meet Stalin in Chennai to garner support from Opposition parties

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will call on his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin in Chennai on Thursday as part of his attempt to garner support from Opposition parties on the Centre’s ordinance that seeks to restore the Lieutenant-Governor’s control over the transfer and postings of bureaucrats in the national capital. 

“Will be meeting Tamil Nadu CM Thiru @mkstalin in Chennai 1st June to seek DMK’s support against Centre’s unconstitutional-undemocratic ‘Anti-Delhi’ Ordinance,” Kejriwal Twitted on Wednesday.  Kejriwal will also meet Jhrkhand CM Hemant Soren in Ranchi on Friday. “On June 2, I will meet the Chief Minister of Jharkhand Mr @HemantSorenJMM ji in Ranchi. Will seek their support against the ordinance passed by the Modi government against the people of Delhi,” he said in the tweet.

Kejriwal on Tuesday had met CPM’s Sitaram Yechury who extended full support. Yechury also appealed to all Opposition parties, including Congress, to oppose the ordinance.  The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting officers in Delhi. The ordinance came soon after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi to the elected government. 

The ordinance has become a political flashpoint between the Centre and Opposition parties ahead of 2024 elections, with Kejriwal urging all Opposition parties to come together in the Rajya Sabha and vote against the ordinance. The AAP leader has projected the fight as a “semi-final” to 2024.