On Tuesday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his team, met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to launch a campaign seeking support against a controversial ordinance introduced by the Central government. The ordinance pertains to transfers and postings of bureaucrats. Kejriwal was accompanied by several AAP colleagues, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Raghav Chaddha, Atishi, and Sanjay Singh.

The meeting, which lasted over half an hour, was followed by Mamata Banerjee's appeal to all political parties to support AAP and vote against the bill based on the ordinance when it is presented in the Rajya Sabha. She expressed her belief in "miracles" and stated that if the bill is defeated in the Upper House, the government may not last another six months.

Mamata Banerjee stated, "We will support AAP in fighting against the central ordinance. I am requesting all parties... my humble appeal to all, even BJP members, is to give their vote to non-BJP parties," referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Central government recently promulgated an ordinance establishing the National Capital Civil Services Authority, which grants the Lt Governor the final authority over postings and transfers of bureaucrats. This move effectively diminishes the executive and legislative powers of the elected Delhi government, which had been previously granted these powers by a five-judge Constitution Bench following a prolonged battle with the Central government.

Arvind Kejriwal did not explicitly state whether he sought the support of the Congress on this matter. He expressed gratitude towards Mamata Banerjee for her commitment to supporting them in the Rajya Sabha, referring to it as the "semi-final" in their fight against what they perceive as an undemocratic Central government. Kejriwal criticized the Centre for its alleged attempts to undermine opposition governments through means such as buying legislators or exerting pressure through investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Next, Kejriwal and his team plan to head to Maharashtra. The opposition's resistance to the Central government's actions in the Rajya Sabha is considered a significant test ahead of the 2024 general elections, with the role of the Congress seen as crucial. While the primary purpose of the AAP-TMC meeting was to seek support against the Central government's ordinance, sources indicate that discussions also involved the opposition's strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

On May 26, Mamata Banerjee and other non-BJP Chief Ministers are expected to be in Delhi, potentially leading to another opposition meeting.

Several prominent opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar, and Arvind Kejriwal, have been attempting to formulate a joint approach to counter the BJP in the upcoming polls. Mamata has proposed a strategy where the party strongest in a particular Lok Sabha constituency puts forward a candidate supported by other opposition parties to challenge the BJP.

Mamata has been advocating for opposition unity since 2016, and while a large opposition rally took place in Kolkata in 2019, the BJP emerged victorious in the subsequent parliamentary elections. TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh highlighted Mamata Banerjee's stance, stating that they are prepared to support the Congress on 200 seats, but the Congress should also support them and make space for regional parties and leaders like Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh.

Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, has also been engaging with key opposition leaders such as Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar, as well as holding discussions with the Congress.