In a significant development, Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab have advised party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi against extending support to Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in their fight against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over an ordinance granting central control over bureaucrats in Delhi. The Congress leaders, expressing their concerns, have left the final decision to the party’s high command.
Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi and leader of AAP, has been actively seeking support from various opposition leaders to counter the ordinance. While he has received positive responses from several parties, including Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal (United), and Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the Congress leaders in Delhi remain firmly opposed to supporting Kejriwal.
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Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary emphasized that his party should not support Kejriwal due to his past instances of praising the BJP. Another leader, Ajay Maken, pointed out instances where the AAP failed to support the Congress and highlighted Kejriwal’s alignment with the BJP in various states. Former AAP leader Alka Lamba, who is now with the Congress, also rebuffed Kejriwal’s outreach.
Kejriwal needs the support of Congress’ 31 Members of Parliament to challenge the BJP and its allies. However, if the Congress leaders decide against extending their support, Kejriwal may rely on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has voiced his concerns about the ordinance’s constitutional implications. Nitish Kumar has been actively engaging with opposition leaders, possibly as part of a Congress-led effort to unite major non-BJP parties ahead of the upcoming general election.
The central government’s ordinance, issued on May 19, aimed to regain control over Delhi government officers after a Supreme Court verdict had granted the Delhi government authority over bureaucrats in its departments. The ordinance empowered the Lieutenant Governor to exercise sole discretion in matters related to the transfer and posting of bureaucrats, contrary to the earlier court decision upholding the elected government’s primacy in this regard, except for law and order and land-related matters.
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