Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Delhi next week to attend a Niti Aayog meet and conduct a number of political exercises ahead of the Union budget, in what would be her first visit to the national capital since the June 4 general election results.
Trinamul Congress sources said the Bengal chief minister might reach Delhi on July 24 or 25 and return on July 28, after attending the Niti Aayog governing council meeting, where Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to place a vision document for the Narendra Modi government’s so-called Viksit Bharat roadmap for 2047. All chief ministers have been asked to be present.
“The chief minister, who usually does not attend these meetings, wants to be present to see where Bengal features in the Centre’s plans for this endeavour,” said a source.
Since attending the first of these meetings after the launch of the Niti Aayog, Mamata had started sending the then state finance minister (now the special advisor on finance) Amit Mitra. She did attend a couple of such meetings virtually, during the pandemic, but always had issues with the alleged relegation of Bengal to the sidelines in such events.
“This time, she also wants to directly raise a number of issues pertaining to the economic blockade of the state by this Union government, especially by way of blocking central funds due to us for years,” said the source.
“Since the Modi government is drastically weakened in its third term, she believes exerting pressure would yield results now,” he added, referring to the BJP’s dependence this time on unreliable allies who seek to be appeased with pelf or power to keep the NDA past the majority mark.