Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal meets CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, discuss centre-state relations

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury at the secretariat on Friday. The long overdue meeting saw discussions around centre-state relations, among other issues.

While Delhi government officials said that this was a courtesy meeting and that the two have met frequently in the past, sources said the Left leader has agreed to support Kejriwal's idea of organizing a conclave of non-BJP chief ministers. The seminar is being organized on September 22. On Wednesday, Kejriwal extended an invitation to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during a meeting with her.

During the meeting with Yechury, centre-state relations dominated the meeting. It is believed Kejriwal complained about the manner in which the BJP-led Centre is not letting him function. Yechury, sources said, told him the Left has been fighting for the rights of states for long. In this regard, the Left's role in organizing a CMs' conclave in the early 1980s was recalled as well as setting up of Sarkaria Commission to look into centre-state relations.

Kejriwal has been busy building consensus on his fight with the Centre, especially regarding the rights of Delhi. Having met the West Bengal CM earlier this week, Kejriwal also met Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and is expected to share the stage with him in the coming week during an event to mark Bihar Day in Delhi. Aam Aadmi Party has in fact declared open support for Kumar during the upcoming Bihar elections and a team is expected to go to Bihar to campaign "against Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

"This is very much a third front in making. The non-BJP states see Modi and BJP as their biggest threat and would happily link hands to keep BJP in control. Delhi has, at best, had a turbulent relation with the Centre and has been asking for rights over police and land. This is one way of building support in its favour," said sources.