Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the people of Delhi have “got support” from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the Centre’s ordinance giving the control of ‘services’ back to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor.

Kejriwal thanked the West Bengal Chief Minister for her support and said Trinamool Congress will oppose the bill that the BJP-led government will bring in Parliament to replace its ordinance on control of services in Delhi.

In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal said, “The people of Delhi got the support of Mamata Didi yesterday. When the Modi government will present a bill in Parliament against the people of Delhi, the TMC party will oppose it in favour of the people of Delhi. On behalf of the people of Delhi, I thank Didi from the bottom of my heart.”

On Tuesday, Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had met the West Bengal Chief Minister in Kolkata as a part of his efforts to seek the support of opposition parties against the ordinance.

Banerjee had assured her counterpart in Delhi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of full support of the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha against the Union government’s ordinance to negate the Supreme Court’s order handing over administrative services in the national capital to the elected government there.

She made this announcement after an hour-long meeting with Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Kolkata. Delhi Education Minister Atishi and AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha were also present at the meeting.

“If all the opposition parties unite against the BJP on this ordinance issue, the saffron party can be surely defeated. If that happens, it will be a moral defeat for the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. And if any miracle happens, the fate of the current Union government will be uncertain,” Banerjee said.

The Central government has brought an ordinance to set up a permanent authority known as the National Capital Civil Service Authority whose chairperson will be the Delhi chief minister along with chief secretary, Delhi; Principal Secretary (Home), Delhi to make recommendations to the Delhi L-G regarding matters concerning transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters. However, in case of difference of opinion, the decision of the L-G shall be final.

On May 11, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled that it is ideal to hold that a democratically elected Delhi government should have control over its officers and the L-G is bound by the advice of the elected government in everything other than public order, police, and land. The top court stressed that if the government is not able to control and hold to account the officers posted in its service, then its responsibility towards the legislature as well as the public is diluted.

The ordinance came after the apex court gave the Delhi government control in services matters, including transfer and posting of officers.