After Nitish, Kejriwal To Meet Mamata Banerjee On May 23 To 'Defeat' Centre's Ordinance On Services

The Delhi CM gave the information today after his meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, adding that Kumar said he stands with the people of Delhi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal meets his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar in the national capital ( Image Source :PTI )

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday to secure support against the ordinance brought by the Centre giving back the power of transfer posting to Delhi Lieutenant Governor. The Delhi CM gave the information today after his meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, adding that Kumar said he stands with the people of Delhi.

On Friday, the Centre brought an ordinance to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority that will have the power to recommend the transfer and posting of all Group A officers and officers from Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services (DANICS) serving in Delhi. 

“I will have a meeting with Mamata Banerjee at 3 pm in Kolkata the day after tomorrow and then I'll meet all the party leaders in the country,” said the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor while speaking to reporters after his meeting with Nitish.

I will meet WB CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata day after tomorrow. I will go to every state and will meet every leader to ask for their support to defeat this bill: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Centre's ordinance on transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi pic.twitter.com/WDTSUrSoAD

— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2023

“I requested Nitish Kumar today that he also talks to all the parties and I'll also visit every state and meet all the party leaders,” he said. 

“I'll formally request support from everyone to defeat this ordinance.” 

The ordinance came after a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on May 11 held that the Delhi government has “legislative and executive power over services” in the national capital.   

Holding a press conference on Saturday evening, Kejriwal came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre over the ordinance terming it “unconstitutional” and “against democracy”. The ordinance came after a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on May 11 held that the Delhi government has “legislative and executive power over services” in the national capital.   

He said his government will move the Supreme Court over the issue as and when it would resume after the summer vacation.

Kejirwal is scheduled to meet Uddhav Thacekray on May 24 and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on May 25 to seek their support against the ordinance.