Two NCPI MPs hold meeting with Bengal CM Adhikari at State Secretariat
Kolkata, Aug 8
Two Lok Sabha members namely Khalilur Rahaman and Abu Taher Khan, who have recently joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India after quitting the Trinamool Congress, along with 18 others, on Saturday held a meeting with the West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the State Secretariat Nabanna.
Both Rahaman and Khan are Lok Sabha members from the Murshidabad district and both are against NCPI becoming an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
However, both of them were present at the breakfast meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence in New Delhi on Friday with all the 20 Trinamool Congress-turned-NCPI Lok Sabha members.
In such a situation Saturday's meeting with the Chief Minister is deemed to be very crucial by political observers in the state.
However, both Rahaman and Khan, as well as the third minority Lok Sabha member from Murshidabad district, Yusuf Pathan, a cricketer-turned-politician, have clearly said that although they are against the NCPI becoming an ally of the BJP in the NDA, they will maintain a close coordination with the current Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal for development in the respective Lok Sabha constituencies that they represent.
The main agenda of the meeting with the Chief Minister Adhikari on Saturday was regarding the delayed tribunal decisions on the large number of voters whose names were deleted in the Murshidabad district following the special intensive revision (SIR) in the state conducted earlier this year.
Incidentally, on Friday, a delegation of the "rebel but majority" faction in Trinamool Congress led by the expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee had a meeting with the Chief Minister at the State Secretariat.
In that meeting, the delegation raised the same issue and sought Chief Minister Adhikari's intervention in the matter.
The Chief Minister had already clarified that since this was a court matter, the state administration led by him would not intervene in the matter. However, he had assured that no one will be deprived of the benefits of any social welfare schemes even if their cases are under consideration of the tribunal.
However, those who have not applied to the tribunal even after their names are removed from the SIR will not get any benefit, Chief Minister Adhikari had reiterated earlier.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Why is the Chief Minister refusing to intervene in the voter deletion issue? These are genuine voters from minority communities who have been deprived of their voting rights. This is a serious matter of democratic rights, not just bureaucracy. The state government should be more proactive in ensuring everyone is represented, not hide behind court orders. 😠
The same MPs who were in TMC are now in NCPI and talking to BJP government for local development. Where is the ideology? Just politics of convenience. But honestly, if roads, healthcare, and clean drinking water get delivered in Murshidabad, are we in a position to complain? Also, focusing on voters benefits being protected during tribunal hearings is a good move.
The more I see this, the more I feel this is all part of the larger political chess game. The BJP is trying to bring on board minority leaders in Bengal to counter the TMC narrative. The voter deletion issue is a genuine concern though - those who didn't even apply to the tribunal will lose benefits too. That's harsh! The CM's approach seems selective. Also, coordination for development within legal bounds is fine.
I think this is a very practical approach by both sides. The MPs are not antagonizing the government while also keeping their opposition to the BJP alliance clear. That takes guts in today's polarized climate. And the CM agreeing to hold meetings despite knowing they are against the BJP's NDA entry shows maturity. It's all about development of the constituency at the end of the day.
This article makes me uneasy. Names getting deleted en masse in Murshidabad after the SIR sounds like an attack
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