Centre-AAP face-off: Kharge speaks with Kejriwal, extends solidarity

The Congress president’s move surprised many as the party high command has maintained a silence on the summoning of Kejriwal. The Congress had a month ago attacked the AAP government over the excise policy. It is also interesting that while Kharge dialled Kejriwal and extended solidarity, the Congress’s Delhi unit called for the resignation of the Delhi Chief Minister.

Sources said Kharge asked Kejriwal about the “love letter” he got from the Centre and both of them agreed that the Government was “targeting” the Opposition leaders and will continue to do so. Kharge told Kejriwal that the Opposition parties will have to fight together on such issues. The Congress leader, in a way, was taking forward the new-found bonhomie between the two parties at the national level.

Kejriwal and his party’s leaders had criticised the BJP government severely after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP last month following his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The Delhi CM had described the move as “cowardice” and accused the BJP of trying to create an environment where “only one party remains”. He had argued that relationships between parties were not important anymore as the battle was to save the country “from dictatorship, a less educated individual, an arrogant individual”.

The Congress seems to be adopting a unique model, wherein the central leadership is trying to delink national and state politics to ensure that local political compulsions do not come in the way of unity bid. While the high command refrains from attacking rival opposition parties, the state units are free to take on local opponents.

For instance, after its Delhi unit chief Anil Chaudhary demanded the resignation of Kejriwal, Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa too targeted Kejriwal on Saturday.

“Arvind Kejriwal has no right to speak on corruption now after being summoned by CBI at its headquarters on April 16 at 11 AM for his alleged role in Delhi liquor policy which he later retracted fearing action. His two cabinet colleagues are already cooling their heels in Tihar jail on corruption charges,” he tweeted.

The Congress is also not perturbed by the NCP’s decision to field candidates in 40-45 seats in Karnataka. Sources in the Congress said the NCP is not trying to poach Congress leaders unlike some of the other Opposition parties — read Trinamool Congress — and every party was free to contest the elections.

Kharge has so far spoken to six Opposition leaders — JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, DMK’s M K Stalin, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal — impressing upon them the need to unite to take on the BJP. As part of the Congress’s attempts to forge an united opposition front, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal will travel to Mumbai next week to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. The Sena has invited Rahul Gandhi too to Mumbai but it is not clear whether he will accept the invitation.

Sources said Kharge will speak to other opposition leaders too with a message that like minded opposition parties will have to unite on a common platform to defeat the BJP in the 2024 elections. Kharge is also planning to convene a meeting of heads of all major opposition parties as part of his unity bid.