Kejriwal meets Modi, seeks statehood for Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 12: Two days before he takes oath as Delhi's chief minister, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised the issue of granting full statehood to the capital. Kejriwal, who is reaching out to the Modi-led central government after weeks of bitter election campaign, also invited the prime minister to his oath taking but the latter politely declined the request. Kejriwal and his close associate Manish Sisodia, who is likely to be the deputy chief minister, were with Modi for over 20 minutes. Modi, who during the campaign had called Kejriwal a "Naxalite" who should be banished to the forest, received the AAP leader warmly, Sisodia later told the media. "We discussed issues concerning Delhi over 'chai pe charcha'. One of the issues was granting Delhi full statehood," Sisodia said. He said Modi promised to ponder over the issue and assured the AAP leaders the central government's full cooperation to the Delhi government. After Kejriwal led his party to a landslide win in the Delhi election Tuesday that left the BJP with just three of the 70 seats, Modi congratulated the AAP leader and invited him for a meeting over tea. That day too he told Kejriwal that the central government would extend full cooperation to the Delhi government. Sisodia did not not say much on the cabinet formation in Delhi. "Nothing can said now. The final list (of ministers) would be sent to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung soon," he said. Keriwal and Sisodia have been meeting cabinet ministers whose ministries have a say in the affairs of Delhi.