JOIN USMamata to skip meet on parallel polls
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday conveyed to the Centre that she will not be attending the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and heads of political parties over the issue of “one nation, one election".
The meeting is scheduled to take place on June 19.
Mamata in her letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi also stated that the meeting has been scheduled at a short notice and urged him to issue a white paper on the issue so political parties can provide well thought out opinions.
“ I would like to mention that a response on such a sensitive and serious subject like ‘One Country, One Election' would not do justice to the subject it deserves... I would like to request you to kindly circulate a white paper on the subject to all political parties inviting their views by providing adequate time,” Mamata stated in her letter.
She argued that the subject requires consultation with experts on Constitution, election and party members and made it clear that her party will convey its views on the subject only if a white paper is issued.
As for the development of aspirational districts, the chief minister said that her party had already made it clear that it was not in favour of selection of few district and is committed to equal development of the all the districts in Bengal.
“As regards the issue of aspirational districts, we have already conveyed our views to Niti Aayog meeting held on June 15, 2019, stating that we are not in support of a few districts as aspirational districts as it would not conform to the overall objectives of achieving balanced and uniform development of all the districts of the state,” Mamata stated.
The chief minister also said that her party would wholeheartedly take part in the celebration of 75th year of Independence and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.