West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee meets PM Modi in New Delhi; to meet President Murmu next

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi, 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. According to sources, she was scheduled to discuss several issues including Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues for her state. The meeting between the two leaders lasted for about one hour.

The visit comes ahead of the Vice Presidential elections, which will take place on Saturday. Opposition candidate Margaret Alva is fielded against NDA's Jagdeep Dhankhar. TMC has decided to abstain from voting in Vice Presidential polls.

Mamata Banerjee will also meet President Droupadi Murmu later in the day.

The Trinamool Congress supremo is likely to attend NITI Aayog governing council meeting on August 7 that will be chaired by PM Modi, where issues related to economy, health and agriculture would be discussed. Mamata had skipped last year's meeting.

She is expected to raise the concerns of non-payment of GST dues and federalism issues at this year's meeting.

Banerjee meets TMC MPs

Banerjee, who arrived in Delhi on a four-day visit, met her party MPs and discussed the Monsoon session of Parliament and strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

She also sought suggestions from MPs for the names of the seven new districts in Bengal she announced recently, PTI sources said.

TMC MP and Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee was vocal during the meeting and discussed what issues the MPs should pitch in the last few days of the current Parliament Session of Parliament, sources said.

Her Delhi visit comes at a time when suspended TMC minister Partha Chatterjee is being probed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to an alleged SSC recruitment scam. He has been arrested in the case.