Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as well as senior AAP leaders Raghav Chadha, Atishi, and Sanjay Singh had accompanied Kejriwal to Ranchi.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren became the latest Opposition leader to pledge support to the AAP in its fight against the Centre’s controversial ordinance in Delhi, saying the Narendra Modi-led government’s plan is to hinder the elected state governments from working.

“The central government speaks of federal structure but acts in a manner totally opposite to it. We can clearly see that parties which are not in alliance with the BJP are facing similar situations. This is a matter of concern… This is not just an attack on the non-BJP governments, but on the people of the country,” the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader said at a joint press conference with Kejriwal.

“We will discuss this issue in greater depth within the party and work towards advancing a democratic arrangement,” Soren further said.

The statements came after the Jharkhand CM met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Ranchi. The AAP convenor is on a nationwide tour to garner the backing of Opposition parties against the Centre’s ordinance when it is moved for voting in the Parliament.

“Despite the Supreme Court verdict in favour of the AAP government (the apex court had ruled that the control over transfer and posting of top bureaucrats in Delhi would vest with the state government), the Centre brought the ordinance,” Kejriwal said at the press conference today.

“This ordinance should be collectively defeated in the Parliament as it is undemocratic, against the federal structure and unconstitutional,” he added.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as well as senior AAP leaders Raghav Chadha, Atishi, and Sanjay Singh had accompanied Kejriwal to Ranchi. The AAP delegation had arrived in Ranchi on a special flight from Chennai around 9 pm on Thursday.

Kejriwal’s meeting with Soren comes a day after the former met Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and secured his support on the ordinance issue. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury have also united with the AAP on its cause.