Striking his first note towards building a “constructive and healthy” relationship with the Centre, AAP leader and New Delhi’s Chief Minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal, along with close confidant Manish Sisodia, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday for about 20 minutes.
“We discussed statehood for Delhi. His response was positive. There was no concrete assurance as this was the first meeting, really a courtesy call,” Sisodia, who is tipped to be named Deputy Chief Minister, told reporters, adding that “it was a very good meeting.”
Kejriwal, who is set to take oath for the second time in a mega ceremony at Ramlila Maidan here on Saturday, is said to have extended an invitation to Modi, who reportedly expressed his inability to attend due to a tight schedule that was drawn up two months earlier. “I would have been happy to attend, but I will not be able to,” Sisodia quoted Modi as saying.
Kejriwal also released a video and audio clip inviting the people of Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony: “My invitation to one and all for oath ceremony. Sat, 14th Feb, 11 am, Ramlila Maidan. Be on time,” he tweeted.
About 1 lakh people had attended the event in 2013. Now that the AAP has made a staggering victory, the party and police expect a much larger crowd.
At an Assembly election campaign speech, Modi had referred to Kejriwal as an “anarchist” and “naxal” without actually naming him. The AAP had been quick to cash in on that, saying a “desperate” BJP was indulging in “personal attacks”.
However, after Thursday’s meeting, Sisodia said: “Our politics is not to stop Narendra Modi. It is about transparency in governance. We have no personal differences with Mr Modi.”
However, the State government will “definitely pursue the FIR we lodged against former CM Sheila Dikshit”, he added.
Modi and Kejriwal had contested from the Varanasi seat during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where the former won by a substantial margin.
However, the BJP suffered a drubbing in the recent Assembly polls with only three seats against 34 in 2013, while the AAP bagged 67 out of 70 seats, against 28 in 2013.
AAP leaders are likely to finalise the names of Cabinet ministers on Friday before handing the list over to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. Meanwhile, speculation was rife on some new names that were likely to be included, such as ex-Apple executive Adarsh Shastri, former Congress youth leader Alka Lamba, who joined the AAP in 2013, and advocate SK Bagga, who defeated the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi.
Focus on DelhiSisodia said the AAP’s focus right now is Delhi. “That is what we have been voted for. We aren’t thinking of Punjab or other states right now,” he said.
He insisted that new electricity tariff rates will be announced as soon as possible. “It would be wrong to call it a subsidy. It will be in place as long as discoms (distribution companies) are not investigated,” he added.