Mamata assures Kejriwal of full support over Centre's services bill

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured her counterpart in Delhi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of full support of the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday 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.

While the BJP is poised to get the ordinance passed in the Lok Sabha owing to its numerical superiority, the situation might turn tricky in the Upper House where the Trinamool Congress has 12 MPs.

Banerjee made this announcement after an hour-long meeting with Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here. 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.

Kejriwal, on his part, alleged that after any Assembly election, if the BJP does not get the requisite majority, it first tries to capture power through the backdoor by twisting or pressurising the opposition MLAs.

"Even if that tactic is not successful, it tries to take control over the state administration through Governors. This practice of using Governors against any non-BJP ruled state government has become rampant in West Bengal, Punjab and Telangana," Kejriwal said.

He also said that the Union government tactfully brought the ordinance on the day the Supreme Court was going on vacation.

"They were aware that had the Supreme Court been in session, the matter would have stayed on the very next day," he said.

Expressing gratitude towards Banerjee for extending support on the ordinance issue, Mann said that he is aware as to how the Governor is being used in West Bengal to disturb the functioning of the elected state government.

Mann was also vocal about the use of central investigating agencies against the leaders of the opposition parties.

"I congratulate Mamata Banerjee for the manner in which she is fighting against the pressure of the central agencies," the Punjab Chief Minister said.

All the three Chief Ministers also agreed on a united move by all non-BJP parties against the saffron acmp in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

--IANS

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