AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal meets Minister Venkaiah Naidu

Delhi Chief minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday met Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and sought cooperation for the national capital’s development. Accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal met Naidu at Nirman Bhawan – which houses the ministry – around 9.30 a.m. Assuring to work without any political divide between AAP-led Delhi and the BJP government at the centre, Kejriwal sought help from the ministry over the issue of squatter colonies.

The issue of full statehood for Delhi also figured in the discussion. The meeting took place a day after the AAP netted 67 seats in the 70-member assembly Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party got just three seats while the Congress secured zero. “On the issue of unauthorised colonies, we will need the union government’s help as well as the Delhi Development Authority and the Municipal Cooperation of Delhi.

“We also need land to construct more schools, colleges, hspitals, and parking lots in Delhi. The DDA must allot us land for these facilities,” Sisodia told the media in New Delhi. According to party sources, Kejriwal is scheduled to meet union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence around 3.30 p.m. and also President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 6.30 p.m. Asked if Kejriwal would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sisodia told the media: “We have sought his time, and I think we have been given a time for tomorrow (Thursday).”(IANS)