Following the Congress decision to oppose Centre’s ordinance related to the control of administrative services in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced that it will attend the second opposition party meeting that is scheduled to take place in Karnataka’s Bengaluru on July 17-18.
AAP MP Raghav Chaddha, while speaking to the media after the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting confirmed the same and said, “As Congress has also made its stand clear on the black ordinance, it is decided that the party under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal will take part in the meeting of like-minded parties in Bengaluru on July 17-18.” The AAP called a PAC meeting of the party on Sunday.
The opposition meet in Bengaluru is scheduled with the purpose of uniting the opposition to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming general assembly polls in 2024.
Top leaders of at least 24 political parties would attend the second Opposition unity meeting being convened by Congress in Bengaluru.
Significantly, a mega opposition meeting was held in Bihar’s Patna on June 23.
The AAP asked Congress to clear its stand on the centre’s ordinance, which was brought by the central government regarding the transfer and posting of group-A officers in Delhi.
After the first Opposition meeting, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had said that unless the Congress publicly denounced the ordinance it would be “very difficult” for it to be a part of any coalition that includes the grand old party.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Sunday said that the party’s stand on the same is ‘very clear’ and it is going to oppose it in the parliament.
“Congress’ stand on this is very clear, we will oppose it,” Venugopal said while speaking to ANI.
The BJP-led central government brought the ordinance on the transfer and posting of bureaucrats in Delhi in May, virtually negating a Supreme Court verdict giving the elected government in Delhi the control over services matter.
The ordinance seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre.
Transfer and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the lieutenant governor before the May 11 verdict of the apex court.
The AAP had been counting on the support of the Congress, which has 31 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP does not have a majority in the Upper House of Parliament.
CM Kejriwal had even held one-on-one meetings with top Opposition leaders across the country, soliciting their support on the Ordinance issue.