On Monday, Congress party members from Delhi and Punjab met the party leadership in the national capital and suggested that the party should not support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the federal government’s ordinance related to the postings and transfers of Delhi officials, press reports quoting sources said.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge met members of both states separately. Former party president Rahul Gandhi was also present during the meetings.
According to media reports, the party members of both states called Kejriwal the “B-team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and claimed that he harmed the party not only in Delhi and Punjab but in other states as well.
Sources from the party also said that the meeting between Kharge and party members from Delhi and Punjab came in the wake of Kejriwal seeking time from the Congress chief and Gandhi urging them for support against the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) which grants Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor the authority to decide on the postings and transfers of Delhi officials.
While Kejriwal continues to meet leaders of other opposition parties, Congress said that, though it agreed in principle that the ordinance was undermining the Supreme Court of India’s order, the party would still prefer to take a collective decision on their stance on siding with AAP in Parliament.
The media reports also emphasize that the party's leadership will meet members from other states before taking any stand.
Punjab state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring told reporters that after the meeting, they put forward their views to the party's high command and left the final decision to it.