On Sunday, June 25, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made it clear that it is in no mood to accept Congress scion Rahul Gandhi as the leading face of the so-called “mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance) of the opposition parties. AAP’s national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar in a tweet advised the Congress party to not place a bet on Rahul Gandhi for the third time. She added that Congress should refrain from pressuring the opposition parties to accept him as their leader.
“If the country is to be saved, then first of all Congress should say that they will not stake a claim on Rahul Gandhi even for the third time and will not put pressure on the entire opposition. In the interest of the country, this constitution is above saving,” Kakkar tweeted in Hindi.
अगर देश बचाना है तो सबसे पहले कांग्रेस को बोल देना चाहिए की वो तीसरी बार भी Rahul Gandhi पर दाव नहीं लगायेंगे और समूचे विपक्ष पर ये दबाव नहीं डालेंगे। देश हित में ये संविधान बचाने से भी ऊपर है।
— Priyanka Kakkar (@PKakkar_) June 24, 2023
Notably, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar hosted opposition parties in Patna for the Friday Unity conference. In particular, this was the first gathering of opposition parties to send a message of ‘unity’ ahead of the 2024 general elections. 17 opposition parties met to discuss the timeline and road map for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Media reports suggest that during the meeting on Friday, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal had raised the issue of the Centre’s ordinance over control of administrative services in Delhi. While most other opposition parties have backed AAP in this matter, the Congress party has refused to do so.
Subsequently, the AAP leaders did not stay for the joint statement and instead returned to Delhi after lunch.
AAP issued a statement from Delhi saying that any alliance with the Congress party would be difficult if the Congress refused to back AAP on the Delhi Ordinance issue. In its statement, AAP said that out of the 15 ‘like-minded’ parties, 12 have extended support of AAP over the Ordinance issue, however, only Congress refused to denounce the ‘Black Ordinance’.
Our statement on the meeting of political parties on June 23, 2023, in Patna.#OppositionMeeting pic.twitter.com/Mb3u1G75Cf
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 23, 2023
“Today, during the like-minded party meeting in Patna, many parties urged the Congress to publicly denounce the Black Ordinance. However, the Congress refused to do so. Congress’s silence raises suspicions about its real intentions. In personal discussions, senior Congress leaders have hinted that their party might informally or formally abstain from voting on it in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress’ abstention from voting on this issue will help the BJP immensely in furthering its attack on Indian democracy,” the AAP statement read.
Following the ‘unity meeting’ both AAP and Congress have been accusing each other of being the ‘B-team’ of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress’s ambiguous stand on the Ordinance issue has triggered the Aam Aadmi Party to augment its attacks on Congress.
In a News24 debate program, AAP’s Priyanka Kakkar said that why stops the Congress party from taking a stand against the alleged attack on the constitution. She insinuated that the Congress party is BJP’s B-team by giving examples of Uttar Pradesh elections, and Congress’s walkout during the voting of MCD Mayoral elections.
''विपक्ष की बैठक में 12 पार्टियों ने हमें समर्थन दिया तो कांग्रेस को क्या दिक्कत हैं'': @PKakkar_#SandeepChaudhary #SabseBadaSawal #OppositionMeeting pic.twitter.com/rwhzcMwtdG
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) June 23, 2023
“In UP elections, you see, at many places, Samajwadi party was the runner-up, if Congress had not contested on such seats, SP would have won,” Kakkar said.
Notably, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday had his party will decide on the Ordinance issue before the parliament session. “We all want to fight together against BJP and our agenda is to remove the BJP govt… We will take a decision on this (on supporting AAP against the Centre’s ordinance) before the Parliament session,” Kharge said.
#WATCH | We all want to fight together against BJP and our agenda is to remove the BJP govt… We will take a decision on this (on supporting AAP against the Centre's ordinance) before the Parliament session, says Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as he leaves for the… pic.twitter.com/ew2Qzs2Vfq
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
Reacting to Kharge’s statement, AAP’s Priyanka Kakkar on Friday claimed that BJP and Congress have had an agreement already as she said, “We have got info that Rahul Gandhi and BJP have done an agreement…Congress should clear its stand against this unconstitutional Ordinance, why they are taking so long in doing so?
#WATCH | We have got info that Rahul Gandhi and BJP have done an agreement…Congress should clear its stand against this unconstitutional Ordinance, why they are taking so long in doing so? : AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge's… https://t.co/iZlW68JIOy pic.twitter.com/r7vdxKBrus
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance 2023
On May 19, 2023, the Government of National Capital Territory (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 was enacted. It modifies the Delhi National Capital Territory Act of 1991. The Act establishes the framework for the Legislative Assembly and the administration of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
