Hemant Soren skips NITI Aayog meet amid INDI Alliance boycott

Mail News Service

Ranchi, July 27: The NITI Aayog meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi got underway in Delhi on Saturday. However, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was not present.

The Chief Ministers of the INDI Alliance had boycotted the meeting, although West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee participated. She had left for Delhi on Friday evening.

There was uncertainty about CM Soren’s attendance, as he had not left for Delhi by Friday night. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had stated that it was unclear whether he would participate. When he did not arrive at the meeting on Saturday morning, it became evident that he would not be attending.

During a recent visit to Delhi, CM Soren had mentioned his intention to attend the NITI Aayog meeting to demand Jharkhand’s outstanding amount of ₹1.36 lakh crore. However, following the INDI Alliance’s decision to boycott the meeting, the chances of his attendance was slim.

Other Chief Ministers who announced their boycott included Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh’s Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, and Telangana’s Revanth Reddy. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, and the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Punjab also decided to skip the meeting.

Despite the boycott, there was a possibility that Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee might attend. Ultimately, only Mamata Banerjee chose to participate.