New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wants a referendum to put pressure on the federal government in his bid to get full statehood for Delhi.

Being a Union Territory, Delhi under the constitution enjoys limited statehood.

Kejriwal is bracing for yet another confrontation with the federal government after challenging in the court the federal home ministry’s note that the power of transfer and postings of senior bureaucrats rests with the Lieutenant Governor.

It is learnt that Kejriwal has asked the urban development department of his government to explore the possibility of holding a referendum to find out whether the people of Delhi are with him in his demand for full statehood to Delhi.

The department has been asked to submit a feasibility report on ordering such a referendum.

Kejriwal has chosen the most democratic way to put pressure on the federal authorities since referendum demonstrates wishes of the people. However, the federal government is cagey towards such a proposal since it may open a Pandora’s Box as it may have a cascading impact in other parts of the country.

Authorities have been avoiding demand for referendum in the border state of Jammu and Kashmir over the past six decades to let people decide whether they want to continue being part of India, merge with Pakistan or become a sovereign state.

Likewise, people in many states may also demand referendum to press their demand for separate statehood. India has created four additional states in the form of Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Telangana over the past 15 years while demands for about a dozen separate states is pending with the federal government.

Delhi was granted limited statehood on the patterns of another Union Territory Puducherry in 1991 when the existing metropolitan council was replaced by state assembly. Since then state units of all political parties demand and promise full statehood to Delhi, which the governments at the centre have been rejecting since the city is also the national capital and giving all powers to the provincial government may create confrontation and complications.

The Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party contested the February assembly elections with getting full statehood to Delhi as one of the key poll promises.

Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took up the issue of full statehood to Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the federal Home Minister Rajnath Singh when they called on the two leaders after AAP’s resounding victory in state polls. The federal government has been avoiding deciding the issue either way on the plea that being the national capital, Delhi belongs to the entire country and full statehood to Delhi can only be given with a national consensus.

“Whenever there will be general consensus in the country on giving full statehood status to the national capital it is possible. But till that is not done, full statehood rights cannot be given to the state government,” federal Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said recently.