New Delhi: Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala today rallied behind their Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, who has been protesting at the Raj Niwas for six consecutive days demanding that the “strike” by bureaucrats in the city be called off.
At the press conference at Kejriwal’s residence, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the Centre to resolve the “crisis” immediately.
The open support to Kejriwal by the four Chief Ministers assumes significance as it comes amidst efforts by leading Opposition parties to cobble together a rainbow coalition ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Interestingly, the Congress, which has been eyeing a grand alliance of Opposition parties to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, has been slamming the Delhi Chief Minister for his sit-ins.
The press conference in support of Kejriwal by the four major regional players came a day after the Congress fielded former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Delhi Congress president to attack Kejriwal for his protest, reflecting a clear divide among Opposition parties on the issue.
The show of support to Kejriwal by Kumaraswamy, who heads a coalition government with the Congress in Karnataka, is at variance with the stand taken by the grand old party on the issue, in an indication that the regional party will not hesitate to take a different stand on important issues.
“We came here to show our support to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. We demand that the Prime Minister interferes and takes necessary steps to solve the problem,” Kumaraswamy said.
The four Chief Ministers went to Kejriwal’s residence after they were “denied” permission by LG Anil Baijal.
“I wanted to meet the Delhi Chief Minister but I was told, verbally, that permission will not be granted. Then, four of us wrote to the LG for appointment, but we were told that he (Baijal) is not there. We were not allowed,” Banerjee said.
Earlier, the four Chief Ministers met at Andhra Bhawan.
Banerjee, Naidu, Vijayan and Kumaraswamy are in Delhi to attend a meeting of Niti Aayog tomorrow.
The CMs met Kejriwal’s wife and several other AAP leaders at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence.
Lending support, at Kejriwal’s house
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu with Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, at their New Delhi residence on Saturday.
The four non-BJP Chief Ministers sought the PM’s intervention on issues related to Kejriwal’s dharna at the office of Delhi’s Lt Governor. “We have come to express solidarity (with the Delhi CM),” Mamata Banerjee said.