West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be skipping the Eastern Zonal Council Meeting, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, today because of the pre-scheduled high-profile meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The meeting between the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir will take place at the state secretariat in Nabanna today.
The Eastern Zonal Council Meeting will be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and is an important platform for coordination among states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.West Bengal’s Minister of State for Finance (Independent Charge), Chandrima Bhattacharya will be representing the state at the meeting.
There are a total of six zonal councils in the country.”Because of the pre-scheduled meeting of the Chief Minister, she would not be able to attend. Instead, Chandrima Bhattacharya will represent the state,” the state cabinet member told UNI on condition of anonymity.Sources at Nabanna said the meeting with Omar Abdullah is tentatively scheduled between 4 pm and 5 pm today.
Although no official agenda has been disclosed, political observers believe the discussion could cover a range of issues, including the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 tourists and sparked national outrage.In the aftermath of the Pahalgam tragedy, Banerjee had dispatched a five-member Trinamool Congress delegation to Jammu and Kashmir who interacted with local communities in the border region and also held talks with Abdullah at his official residence.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister later publicly lauded Mamata Banerjee for her compassion and solidarity during a difficult time. “Mamata Banerjee thought of us. We are grateful for her compassion,” he had said.Omar Abdullah’s visit to Kolkata is seen as a gesture of appreciation and a possible move towards closer cooperation between the two states.
Sources say Thursday’s meeting could also touch upon issues such as centre-state relations, inter-state collaboration, and the declining tourism industry in Kashmir post-Pahalgam.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Mamata Banerjee has skipped a zonal council meeting.
Her absence this time, however, comes amid increasing political engagement between Bengal and other regional powers.
Banerjee had also hosted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav during the recent weeks. While senior Trinamool leaders remain tight-lipped about the details of the Banerjee-Abdullah meeting, it is widely expected to be more than a courtesy call- potentially laying the groundwork for future alliances and joint political strategies.
