AAP Chief Kejriwal to meet Uddhav, Pawar in Mumbai in bid to forge Opposition unity

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Aam Aadmi Party Chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to visit Mumbai on May 24, amid an attempt to drum up support against the Centre's move to curtail Delhi government's power and a day after the Congress snubbed the AAP supremo by not inviting him to the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka.

Party's Mumbai chief Preeti Sharma Menon said that Kejriwal is committed to uniting the opposition. "We believe that if the entire opposition defeats Modi Sarkar anti-democratic ordinance in the Rajya Sahba, it will set the stage for the Lok Sabha Elections next year."

Kejriwal is scheduled to meet Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of his faction of Shiv Sena, on May 24 and Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar on May 25.

Earlier today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Arvind Kejriwal and held deliberation on the united opposition.

The deliberations also came as the Modi-led government issued an ordinance taking back control of bureaucracy even as Kejriwal strategised to defeat the Bill to replace the ordinance when it comes in Rajya Sabha, a move which the AAP chief thinks will send a signal before the Lok Sabha polls.

As part of his efforts, Chief Minister Kejriwal would meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on May 23 followed by a meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai the next day. He will also meet NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on May 25, as part of his efforts to seek support.

Reports said the AAP chief told Nitish that if all the Opposition stands together, the Bill could be defeated in the Rajya Sabha. "If the Bill is defeated in Rajya Sabha, it will send out a message that the BJP will lose the 2024 polls. It will be the semi-final of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," Kejriwal told reporters after the meeting.

Also read: Results of Karnataka assembly elections can be replicated elsewhere if working class remains united & strong: Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar

Nitish expressed his support and said, "how can you take away an elected government's power. Look at the Constitution and see what is right. Whatever Kejriwal is saying is right. We are completely with him."

This was the second meeting Nitish had with Kejriwal, who along with four other top leaders like Naveen Patnaik and Mayawati were not invited to the Bengaluru event, in a little over a month on Opposition unity issue.

At the meeting held at Kejriwal's official residence here, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and AAP Rajya Sabha floor leader Sanjay Singh were present along with the JD(U) top leader. Nitish and Tejashwi had earlier met Kejriwal last on April 12.

Nitish's meeting assumes significance following the ascendance of Congress in Karnataka as it is an attempt to ensure that the Opposition unity is not ruptured. (With inputs from agencies)