Opposition Boycotts Niti Aayog Meeting Amid Budget Protests

The upcoming ninth Governing Council Meeting of Niti Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, will focus on the vision for a developed India by 2047 (Viksit Bharat @2047) amidst significant opposition from several Chief Ministers boycotting the meeting. Chief Ministers from Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab have announced their absence due to perceived discrimination in the recent Union Budget, which allocated substantial funds to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar but left other states underfunded. The Niti Aayog aims to create a roadmap for collaborative governance between the Centre and states to achieve economic growth and development, targeting a $30 trillion economy by 2047. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged these state concerns and emphasized discussions around state relations at the meeting. Protests are also planned in Tamil Nadu against the alleged fiscal inequities reflected in the budget allocations, highlighting broader regional discontent. This meeting has thus become a focal point for ongoing tensions between opposition-led states and the central government regarding fiscal policies and federalism.