Will make Mamata's refusal to attend NITI Aayog meet an electoral issue: BJP

Following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's refusal to attend a NITI Aayog meeting this month, the BJP has asserted that it will make this refusal an "electoral issue."

Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said Mamata can "compromise" with the developmental prospects of her state for "political benefits".

Mamata declined an invitation to attend a meeting of NITI Aayog's Governing Council on June 15, amid heightened political war between the TMC and BJP in West Bengal.

"For Mamata Banerjee, politics is more important and she can really hurt the developmental prospects of West Bengal. She will further lose public esteem for politicising development agenda with the Centre. BJP will make it an electoral issue and tell the people of West Bengal how Mamata has actually compromised with developmental interest and prospects of the state," Rao said on Saturday.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who will chair the June 15 meeting - Mamata had said on Friday that the NITI Aayog has no financial powers to support state-run schemes, adding that it is "fruitless" for her to attend the meeting.

This will be the first meeting of the NITI Aayog's Governing Council after the formation of the new government.

The Governing Council of the think tank includes all Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, several Union Ministers and senior government officials as members.