AAP confirms it will join Opposition meet in Bengaluru

AAP to attend Opposition meet in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The party also welcomes Congress' stand to oppose Centre's ordinance in the PAC meeting held on July 16.

Making the road to Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election smoother, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced that it will attend a meeting of Opposition parties in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18.

The announcement came hours after the Congress said it will not “support” an Ordinance on control over services in Delhi passed by the Central government.

After a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) — the highest decision-making body of the AAP — on Sunday evening, party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha told the media, “The Congress, clearing its position, has expressed its opposition to the Ordinance. We welcome this announcement. The AAP, under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, will take part in the meeting of like-minded parties in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18 and present its views.”

Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal told news agency PTI, “I think they [AAP] are going to join the meeting tomorrow. The Delhi Ordinance also, our stand is very clear. We are not going to support it.”

Responding to Mr. Venugopal’s statement, Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Derek O’Brien said in a tweet, “2024. Bring it on.”

On May 19, the Centre issued an Ordinance amending the Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi Act, 1991, that effectively negates the May 11 Supreme Court judgment that gave the AAP government power to make laws and wield control over bureaucrats deputed to the Delhi government.

Minutes after a meeting of the Opposition parties in Patna on June 23, the AAP said in a statement that it will be “difficult” to be part of such meetings in the future, where the Congress is also a participant, until the Congress agrees that all its MPs in Rajya Sabha will oppose the Centre’s Ordinance.