Bengal CM, LoP scheduled to meet on Wednesday

Kolkata, Feb 13 (IANS) In the midst of a fierce war of words, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of the Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari are all slated to have a face-to-face meeting on Wednesday.

State Assembly sources said that on Wednesday there will be a meeting for selection of the new Information Commissioner of West Bengal and that meeting will be conducted at the Chief Minister’s room in the Assembly premises. As per convention and protocol, three persons are supposed to attend the meeting for the selection of the information commissioner.

Besides the Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition, the state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay is also supposed to be present at the meeting. All focus will be on the outcome of the meeting, especially on the conversations between Banerjee and Adhikari during the course of the meeting.

“If the Leader of the Opposition does not attend the meeting, it will be a clear breach of protocol. In that case we will have to update Governor C.V. Ananda Bose about this breach of protocol. So I feel that good sense will prevail and the Leader of the Opposition will attend the meeting,” said a member of the state cabinet who refused to be named.

Till the last information available, there were a total of 15 applications for the post of new Information Commissioners, out of which two are already out of consideration because of their age, leaving a total of 13 individuals in the fray.

Last year, there was a similar meeting at the Chief Minister’s room, which the Leader of the Opposition skipped citing personal reasons. Now it is to be seen whether he attends Wednesday’s meeting or not.

–IANS

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