In an attempt to break the ice between them, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday invited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for an interaction.
“Hon’ble CM Mamata Banerjee has been urged to make it convenient for an interaction at Raj Bhavan anytime during the week ahead as lack of response to issues flagged has potential to lead to constitutional stalemate which we both are ordained by our oath to avert,” Mr. Dhankhar said on Twitter.
He also wrote to the Chief Minister seeking an interaction and impressing on the necessity for a dialogue between constitutional functionaries. “Dialogue, discussion and deliberation, particularly amongst constitutional functionaries, like the Chief Minister and the Governor, are quintessential to democracy and inseparable part of constitutional governance, “ he said.
The Governor’s initiative comes weeks after the Chief Minister went on record to say that she has blocked him on Twitter. She has also said she had written several letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to withdraw the Governor from the State.
Ms. Banerjee is in talks with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin and her Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao on a host of issues concerning the country’s federal structure, including the role of Governor.