AAP's big decision on attending joint opposition meeting today
Top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will meet on Sunday to decide whether the party will attend the second joint opposition meeting in Karnataka's Bengaluru on Monday and Tuesday, reported NDTV. Reportedly, Sunday's meeting will see AAP Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's participation. The first opposition meet—attended by the AAP—was held on June 23 in Bihar's Patna.
Why does this story matter?
Notably, AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders skipped the joint press conference after the first meeting. Later, the party stated the Congress's "refusal to act as a team player will make it very difficult for the AAP to be a part of any alliance that includes the Congress." The problem between them stems from the Centre's controversial Delhi ordinance.
Congress refusing to denounce 'black' ordinance: AAP
In its statement, the AAP last month said, "Many parties urged the Congress to publicly denounce the black ordinance. However, the Congress refused to do so." "Until the Congress publicly denounces the black ordinance...in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant," it added.
Will announce stand before Parliament session: Congress
To note, almost all opposition parties have extended their support to the Delhi government and opposed the Centre's Delhi ordinance. However, the Congress has refrained from clearing its stand on the issue. Last month, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said the party would take a decision on supporting the AAP against the Centre's ordinance before the next Parliament session.
Why Delhi ordinance is controversial
The Supreme Court in May ruled unanimously in favor of the Delhi government, granting it power over the national capital's bureaucracy. However, to allegedly bypass the verdict, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre brought the ordinance to put bureaucrats above the CM, saying it would check the AAP's corruption. Since then, Kejriwal has been seeking the opposition parties' support against the ordinance.
Next opposition meeting to have 8 more parties: Report
The opposition parties have been seeking to form a united front to defeat the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. NDTV reported that at least eight new parties, including two former allies of the BJP during the 2014 general elections, would participate in Bengaluru's meeting. The two parties are the Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).
