Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding the all-party meet meant to discuss several issues, including the ‘one nation, one election’ idea.
Top leaders from many opposition parties including DMK chief MK Stalin, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, TDP president Chandrababu Naidu, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav along with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati skipped the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mayawati said that she would have attended the all-party meeting if it was about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). She alleged that people’s faith in the EVMs had dwindled to a “worrisome level”. Mayawati’s statement came hours before the all-party meeting.
Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday wrote to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and informed him about her inability to join the meeting. She stated that a single meeting is not enough to respond on the “One Nation One Election” issue. She asked the government to prepare a white paper on the issue instead of doing it hurriedly.
Arvind Kejriwal today said that he would not attend the all-party meeting. AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha would be representing the party and will attend the meeting in place of him.
Prime Minister Modi has invited the heads of all the political parties that have at least one member either in the Lok Sabha or in the Rajya for a meeting to discuss several issues, including the ‘one nation, one election’ idea, celebration of 75 years of Independence in 2022 and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year.
