Major Oppn chiefs skip Narendra Modi's meet on simultaneous polls

PM Narendra Modi chairs a meeting of the heads of various political parties in both the Houses of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session 2019 in New Delhi on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met leaders of various political parties having representation in Parliament to explore possibilities of holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections together amid no show by various opposition parties. PM Modi will set up a committee for giving "time-bound" suggestions on the issue of 'one nation, one election', said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Modi had invited the heads of all political parties which have at least one member either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha for the 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.

Sitaram Yechury

NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik and National People's Party leader Conard Sangma were among those who attended the meeting at the Parliament House library building. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah also attended the meet.

Among the notable absentees were Congress president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati, SP president Akhilesh Yadav, DMK's M K Stalin, TDP chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Mayawati tweeted on Tuesday morning saying she would have attended the meeting if it was on EVMs. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said criticised the proposal, saying simultaneous polls is fundamentally anti-federal and anti-democratic and thus, against the Constitution.

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