NITI Aayog's Governing Council is scheduled to meet tomorrow. (File photograph)
Nearly a dozen Chief Ministers are expected to skip Wednesday's NITI Aayog meeting, in which the controversial land bill amendments are likely to be discussed. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has become the latest entrant to the list, sources said.
The Chief Ministers of the nine Congress-ruled states are likely to boycott the meet, in an effort to bring pressure on the government. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik were also contemplating skipping it.
Mr Yadav's Samajwadi Party feels there is no need for a meeting on land acquisition, since the bill is being examined by a joint committee of Parliament, sources said.
Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is also the Chief Minister's father, will clarify the party's stand on land bill in Parliament once the joint committee report is tabled, they added.
The land bill was one of the key issues which had brought the Opposition together in the last session of Parliament. After days of strident protests, including a Congress-led march that was attended by all opposition parties, the bill was referred to a joint committee of Parliament for detailed examination.
Now, with the monsoon session of Parliament due to open on June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making a last ditch attempt to bring all parties on board over the flagship bill. The expected discussion during the NITI Aayog meet -- which is attended by chief ministers - is an initiative in that direction.
On Monday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi hosted an Iftar dinner that was expected to be a bonding session for the opposition leaders. But SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav did not attend the dinner.
The Congress has said it can only support the 2013 version of the bill, which was formulated with a broad consensus of all parties, including the BJP.
The Chief Ministers of the nine Congress-ruled states are likely to boycott the meet, in an effort to bring pressure on the government. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik were also contemplating skipping it.
Mr Yadav's Samajwadi Party feels there is no need for a meeting on land acquisition, since the bill is being examined by a joint committee of Parliament, sources said.
Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is also the Chief Minister's father, will clarify the party's stand on land bill in Parliament once the joint committee report is tabled, they added.
The land bill was one of the key issues which had brought the Opposition together in the last session of Parliament. After days of strident protests, including a Congress-led march that was attended by all opposition parties, the bill was referred to a joint committee of Parliament for detailed examination.
Now, with the monsoon session of Parliament due to open on June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making a last ditch attempt to bring all parties on board over the flagship bill. The expected discussion during the NITI Aayog meet -- which is attended by chief ministers - is an initiative in that direction.
On Monday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi hosted an Iftar dinner that was expected to be a bonding session for the opposition leaders. But SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav did not attend the dinner.
The Congress has said it can only support the 2013 version of the bill, which was formulated with a broad consensus of all parties, including the BJP.
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