Kejriwal to meet Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar to seek support against Centre’s ordinance

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray this week in Mumbai to seek support against the Centre’s ordinance on the transfer of bureaucrats in the national capital. Kejriwal will meet Thackeray on May 24 and Pawar on May 25, according to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The Centre promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them.This came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi.An ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months. For which, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament.Kejriwal said if the bill is defeated in Rajya Sabha, it will send out the message that the BJP will lose the 2024 Lok Sabha elections."It will be the semi-final of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," the AAP national convenor told reporters.Kejriwal told reporters that he will personally reach out to the chiefs of all the opposition parties to seek their support in the matter so that any bill brought by the Centre to replace the ordinance is defeated in Rajya Sabha.