Mamata Banerjee cancels Delhi trip, to skip ‘One Nation One Election’ meet

Addressing a news conference at the state secretariat Nabanna, Banerjee said, “As only a few days are left (for the state budget), I have decided to cancel my visit to Delhi due to this emergency situation. I have already conveyed my decision to One Nation One Election committee chairperson and former President Ram Nath Kovind. I had called him before cancelling my visit and he was out of station so I could not talk to him. But before coming here (Nabanna), I spoke with him and informed him of my decision. He replied saying ‘no problem’.”

The Chief Minister informed that on behalf of Trinamool Congress, Lok Sabha MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kalyan Banerjee will attend the meeting on Tuesday. “I requested him (Kovind) to allow my party MPs to attend the meeting. He said you are most welcome,” added Banerjee.

The State budget session began in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday and is likely to be tabled on February 6.

The One Nation One Election committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, is tasked to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.

Expressing her disagreement with the concept of simultaneous polls, Banerjee in December last year had written to the high-level committee that it would be against the basic structure of India’s constitutional arrangements. “I incidentally suspect that the instant design to subvert the basic structure of the Indian Constitutional arrangements is aimed at converting the polity of ours into a Presidential system,” Banerjee had written in a letter to Dr Nitin Chandra, secretary, high-level committee, rejecting the proposed ‘One Nation One Election’.

“I also feel that the instant design to subvert the basic structure of the Indian Constitutional arrangements is aimed at converting the polity of ours into a Presidential system. With profound considerations, the Constituent Assembly of India had presented us with a Parliamentary / Cabinet system of government, keeping in view the diversities and pluralities of our great country. But now your design seems to tilt the system in favour of Presidentialization. The design is kept covert, seemingly because autocracy wants a democratic grab now to enter the national public arena. I am against autocracy, and hence I am against your design,” the CM further wrote.

Cabinet meeting

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday chaired a cabinet meeting, wherein it was decided that two new police stations would be created from the jurisdiction of the existing Narendrapur Police Station in South 24 Parganas district.

Sources in the state secretariat said, that while the existing Narendrapur Police Station will remain in South 24 Parganas district, two new police stations, which will cover Khewadaha and Athghara areas from the said police station, will be brought under the Kolkata Police Commissionerate. In this regard, nearly 314 new posts will be created at various levels.

The decision was taken days after a mob went on a rampage inside a state-run school in the Narendrapur area and beat up a section of teachers. The Calcutta High Court, which took note of the incident, ordered the arrest of the culprits.