Kejriwal gets his hands on Akhilesh against ordinance: ‘If it’s defeated in House, it’ll get message across that Modi won’t be back as PM’

The Samajwadi Party (SP) is the latest Opposition party to back Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal against the BJP-ruled Centre’s ordinance on control of services in the National Capital.
Kejriwal and other AAP leaders met SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at his Lucknow residence on Wednesday. At a joint press conference held after their meeting, Kejriwal said: “If all the non-BJP parties come together, then the ordinance (on appointments in Delhi government) can be defeated in Parliament. And if that happens, it will be a semi-final for 2024 (Lok Sabha polls).”

Akhilesh called the ordinance, which effectively overturned a Supreme Court order giving the Delhi government power in the services department, “anti-democratic”, and assured Kejriwal that his party would oppose the Bill in Parliament. “The Ordinance is anti-democratic. I assure you that the SP will be with you (AAP). The good work you are doing in the health and education sector in Delhi is not being liked by the BJP. The BJP knows how to ruin good work… They are scared that the people of Delhi will give them zero seats out of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the next election. Therefore, they have brought this ordinance,” the SP chief, who was accompanied by senior party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, said. Thanking Akhilesh and other SP leaders for hosting the AAP leaders in Lucknow, Kejriwal said: “In Lok Sabha, the BJP has a majority, but not in Rajya Sabha… If their ordinance falls in Rajya Sabha, it will send a strong message to the country that the Modi government is not returning to power,” Kejriwal, who was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, said.

When asked if the next year’s Lok Sabha elections were discussed in the meeting, Kejriwal said, “No talks were held about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections… But we all are together…whatever is required to do for saving the country, will be done.”

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Accusing the BJP-led Centre of taking away the powers of his government, Kejriwal said: “We formed the government in Delhi in February 2015, but three months later, the Modi government took away all our powers by issuing a notification.”

“After eight years of fighting in courts, a Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court on May 11 passed an order with a 5-0 majority. It said that all powers must be vested with the elected government… On May 19, the PM (Narendra Modi) passed an ordinance and cancelled the Supreme Court order. It was done on that day because the Supreme Court closed for summer vacation at 5 pm on May 19. The ordinance was passed at 10 pm,” the Delhi CM said.