BJP CMs to brainstorm on economic crisis

NEW DELHI: The BJP has called a meeting of its chief ministers on Saturday to review the functioning of the economy in light of the "severe economic crisis" in the country and to showcase the "successful" governance models in party-ruled states.

The meeting will not only dwell on ways to deal with the economic situation but will also highlight the dissatisfaction with the Centre's "step-motherly treatment" towards opposition-ruled states, senior party leader Yashwant Sinha said on Thursday.

The conclave will be attended by CMs of BJP-ruled states, deputy CM of Bihar and the senior-most BJP minister in the Punjab government. "The Congress-led UPA government has made a mockery of the federal structure and is meting out step-motherly treatment to non-Congress governments. Discrimination is rampant in the allocation of funds or natural resources. Legislations passed by the state legislatures are kept pending at the central level at will," Sinha said.

Sinha is the convener of the programme which will be inaugurated by party president Nitin Gadkari.

While L K Advani will give the valedictory address, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj will speak on good governance. Her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley will speak on India's federal structure.

The Centre's proposals on Direct Tax Code and Goods and Services Tax, whose fate are yet to be decided as BJP and its NDA partners are opposing them, may not figure in the meeting, Sinha said.

Asked if the party will discuss allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, he said, "This is an entirely irrelevant debate." He said that he could say with "all conviction at his command" that there were "20 other things" by which India could get foreign investment and improve the economy.