Major Oppn chiefs skip Narendra Modi's meet on simultaneous polls

Modi to set up a committee for giving 'time-bound' suggestions on the issue of 'one nation, one election', says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met leaders of various political parties having representation in Parliament to explore possibilities of holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections together amid no show by various opposition parties. PM Modi will set up a committee for giving "time-bound" suggestions on the issue of 'one nation, one election', said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Modi had invited the heads of all political parties which have at least one member either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha for the meeting to discuss several issues, including the "one nation, one election" idea, celebration of 75 years of Independence in 2022 and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year.

Sitaram Yechury

NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik and National People's Party leader Conard Sangma were among those who attended the meeting at the Parliament House library building. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah also attended the meet.

Among the notable absentees were Congress president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati, SP president Akhilesh Yadav, DMK's M K Stalin, TDP chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Mayawati tweeted on Tuesday morning saying she would have attended the meeting if it was on EVMs. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said criticised the proposal, saying simultaneous polls is fundamentally anti-federal and anti-democratic and thus, against the Constitution.

Top five news stories of the day

Drunken goons thrash Alt Balaji's film crew, Mumbai cops 'extort Rs 50,000'
Four drunk goons allegedly assaulted the crew of Alt Balaji's upcoming show Fixxer on Ghodbunder Road on Wednesday. The cast — Mahie Gill, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Shabbir Ahluwalia and Karishma Sharma — escaped, but director of photography Santosh Thundiyil required six stitches to his head, while director Soham Shah was beaten so badly he had convulsions. (Read full story)

Mumbai: Forensic lab returns Rajesh Maru's fingers which were stuck in MRI machine
The family of Rajesh Maru, who died in a freak accident in the MRI room of Nair Hospital in January 2018, has received his fingers that were stuck in the machine for a few days and later kept at Kalina Forensic Library for almost 18 months. The 32-year-old died after being sucked into the MRI machine while he was helping an ailing relative. (Read full story)

Mumbai Crime: Jilted lover burns girl's father's bike in Vasai
The Vasai Manikpur police on Wednesday arrested a 22-year-old for allegedly setting three bikes on fire. The bikes were parked near Krishna Township in Vasai East when the incident, recorded in a CCTV camera nearby, took place. The video footage shows a man, wearing a windcheater and shorts, walking into the residential complex and setting one bike, parked between two others, on fire by removing the petrol tube of the bike. He fled the spot immediately after. (Read full story)

Mumbai Rains: No need to worry, water reserve stock will last till July 31, says BMC
There will not be additional water cut in the city as reserve stock has enough water to last till July 31, civic officials have said. The assurance comes even as water level in the lakes are depleting due to the delay in monsoon arrival in the state. (Read full story)

Mumbai: Prepare to cough up Rs 10,000 fine for illegal parking from July 7
Is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) looking at making parking an additional source of revenue or is it just aiming at decongesting roads by putting an end to the illegal parking menace? Whatever it might be, from July 7 the civic body doesn't want vehicles parked on roads. After increasing parking charges, it now plans to identify roads in a 1-km radius of public parking lots and mark them as no-parking zones. People found parking in these areas would be fined anything between Rs 1,000 and Rs 10,000 and in case of a repeat offence, vehicles would be towed away. No-parking boards would also be put up on arterial roads. (Read full story)

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!