New Delhi: In a rare outreach to the Congress party, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a meeting with its leadership over a recent central ordinance that has curbed the national capital government’s power over its bureaucrats.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader tweeted Friday morning that he has “sought time” with Congress chief Mallikahrjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for support in Parliament against the “undemocratic and unconstitutional ordinance” passed by the BJP government and also to discuss “the general assault on the federal structure and prevailing political situation”.
Kejriwal has been on a nationwide tour this week — meeting opposition leaders — to defeat the ordinance in Parliament. To make it into law, the BJP-led central government has to pass the ordinance in both Houses, but its numbers in the Rajya Sabha may not be adequate.
The government plans to pass the ordinance in the Monsoon Session of Parliament as it has to be presented in both Houses within six months to become law. The ordinance has effectively overruled a recent Supreme Court order that gave the Delhi government – not the Centre – control over transfer and appointment of bureaucrats, excluding those related to the police, public order and land.
After the five-judge Constitution bench’s ruling on 11 May, the Centre last Friday created a National Capital Civil Service Authority through the ordinance, which will handle the transfer of IAS and DANICS-cadre officers and also matters of disciplinary proceedings against them.
The body will include the chief minister as the chairperson, the chief secretary and the principal home secretary as members.
All matters required to be decided by the Authority will be determined by majority of votes of the members present. However, in case of a difference of opinion, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor – who reports to the Centre – will be the final arbiter.
Kejriwal has marshalled support from Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. Several others, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, have also rallied around him and accused the ruling BJP of endangering democracy.
The Congress, so far, has held out, saying this week that it would consult its state units and other like-minded parties over the support in Parliament.
Incidentally, Kejriwal’s party is the Congress’s rival in states like Delhi, Bengal, Punjab and had also launched a high-voltage campaign against the BJP and the Congress in the Gujarat elections last year.
The Delhi chief minister’s tweet Friday is a watershed in efforts to solidify opposition unity, a step also undertaken by Nitish Kumar.