On Sunday, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said in a meeting with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar that if the ordinance empowering the Lieutenant Governor was rejected in the Rajya Sabha, it would mark the first step towards BJP’s defeat.
The remarks came from a meeting where Kejriwal had called for unity amongst all opposition parties. He termed it as a semifinal before the 2024 General Elections that would decide the fate of the BJP.
Kumar's meeting with Kejriwal is part of his efforts to strengthen a broader unity among opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The objective is to create a strong opposition alliance to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
What is the ordinance that sparked this row?
The ordinance in question here was introduced after a May 11 Supreme Court Constitution Bench judgement that handed power over administrative services in Delhi to the elected Government of Delhi.
Soon after, the President of India and the Centre passed an ordinance that created a new authority for statutory matters known as the ‘National Capital Civil Service Authority’ (NCCSA) consisting of the CM of Delhi, the Chief Secretary and the Principle Secretary of the Home department and will merely make recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi over the posting of bureaucrats in the territory.
Tussle between Delhi and Centre
Calling the move to ‘take power away’ from an elected government through an ordinance unconstitutional, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that it plans to move the Supreme Court against the ordinance while the Centre plans to challenge the top court’s earlier May 11 order.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar expressed his support for Kejriwal by saying that, “We of course support Kejriwal. We are trying to unite the opposition parties in all states and end the environment of hate and conflict.”
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah, leader of the National Conference, joined the debate blaming AAP by saying that, “What has been done to Delhi is a travesty and goes against the spirit of cooperative federalism. That said Raghav, it's a shame the AAP didn't realise the danger of its actions when it happily sided with the BJP in Aug 2019.”
