The first meeting of NITI Aayog in the third tenure of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister is to see a “boycott call” by several non-BJP ruled Chief Ministers on Saturday. The meeting to be chaired by Modi will, however, be attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who albeit has called for scrapping of the NITI Aayog and replace it by Planning Commission.

Apart from Congress and its alliance-ruled States like Jharkhand, which are part of the INDIA Bloc, declining to attend the crucial meet in the national Capital, Delhi, Punjab, and Kerala have also announced they will not be part of the meeting.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Telangana’s Revanth Reddy have announced they will not attend the meeting over alleged bias against their States in the Union Budget.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, Kerala’s CM and CPI(M) leader Pinnarayi Vijayan as well as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi and Punjab Governments too called to boycott the meeting.

“NITI Aayog should be scrapped and Planning Commission should be brought back. Thought it’s my duty to raise our voice on common platform even though I know NITI Aayog has no financial power,” Mamata said and confirmed to take part in the meeting. She said she will use the opportunity to register her protest against a “discriminatory Budget” and the “conspiracy to divide Bengal and other Opposition-ruled States.”

The Chief Minister said she was asked to send her written speech seven days ahead of the meeting which she has done and it was before the Union Budget was tabled.

“I will stay at the meeting for a while. If I get an opportunity to deliver my speech at the meeting and record my protest against the discrimination and political bias against the Opposition-ruled States in the Budget besides the conspiracy that is being hatched to divide Bengal and its neighbouring States, I will do so. Else, I will walk out of the meeting,” the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

An official statement said Modi will chair NITI Aayog’s 9th Governing Council meeting which will focus on making India a developed nation by 2047.

The council, the apex body of NITI Aayog, includes all State Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, and several Union Ministers. Modi is the chairman of NITI Aayog.

According to the statement, the meeting aims to foster participative governance and collaboration between the Centre and State Governments, enhancing the quality of life for both rural and urban populations by strengthening the delivery mechanisms of Government interventions.

The meeting will also focus on recommendations of the 3rd National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in December last year.