Kejriwal Gets Pawar's Backing Against Centre's Delhi Ordinance, NCP Chief to Help Get Other Parties On Board

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is on a two-day visit to Maharashtra, meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar. Both the parties have a regional stronghold and are being wooed by the AAP convener in his tirade against the BJP to seek an opposition consensus against the central government’s ordinance for the control of services in Delhi.

Pawar extended complete support to Kejriwal, adding that he will help bring other parties on board. “I have been in parliament for 56 years. The biggest benefit is that I have friends across states and parties, who I have worked with,” he said.

But while both Thackeray and Pawar are nationally recognised leaders, their support might mean precious little in the numbers battle. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has three MPs in Rajya Sabha – Anil Desai, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Raut. The NCP has four MPs in the upper house – Sharad Pawar, Fouzia Khan, Vandana Chavan and Praful Patel. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, TMC chief who has come out in support of Kejriwal, has 13 MPs. Given the numbers that Kejriwal will have to gather, other regional parties will have to jump on board to make the opposition a substantial one.

Kejriwal has pitted this battle as a semi-final to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “If the BJP loses this in the Rajya Sabha, then Modi won’t come to power in India next year,” Kejriwal said in Mumbai.

His party leaders agree that in terms of numbers, the visit may not mean much. “But each number counts. We are at that stage. Moreover, the bond between Kejriwal ji and Uddhav ji is only strengthening. So this can be seen as the beginning of a growing relationship between the two parties,” an AAP leader said.

After his meeting with Thackeray, Kejriwal said he had become part of the Sena leader’s family and that he would like to strengthen the bond. “Sharad Pawar ji is a leader of great national stature. He has access to so many other national leaders who listen to him. Having him on board will mean a lot for the opposition unity,” the AAP leader said.