MVA slams Maharashtra govt over farmers’ woes, inflation and jobs; to boycott tea party on winter session eve

Nagpur: The opposition MVA on Sunday targeted the Maharashtra government over farmers’ plight, price rise, jobs and a sarpanch’s murder and declared it would boycott the cutomary team party on the eve of the state legislature’s winter session here.

Hours before the cabinet expansion of the government in the evening, leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress, held a press conference at Ravi Bhavan in the city to slam the BJP-led dispensation.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said the government was doing a “drama” by keeping the session only for six days. Earlier, the Nagpur session used to be held for anywhere between three weeks and one month, said the Sena (UBT) leader.

Danve claimed that there would be no questions and answers and calling attention motions during the winter session, which will be held from December 16 to December 21.

Though the opposition’s strength in the assembly may be less, it will, with its full force, take on the government on various issues, including those concerning farmers, said Danve.

The Mahayuti has formed the government with the “help” of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), he claimed. The government booked the people of Markadwadi village in Malshiras assembly constituency for planning to hold a “mock repoll using ballot papers”, he said.

The Sena (UBT) leader claimed that the government is not giving proper remuneration to soybean and cotton growers for their produce.

He alleged that the government was responsible for the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district and the “custodial” death of a youth in Parbhani. He also demanded the suspension of the Parbhani superintendent of police and collector. “We have received the invitation for the tea party, but it would be impossible for us to attend an event of a ‘khooni sarkar’, anti-farmer government and a government persecuting Dalits. Hence, MVA has decided to boycott it,” said Danve.

Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar asked how issues concerning the Vidarbha region, which covers Nagpur, will be addressed in such a short session.

“Maharashtra is in debt and farmers are dying by suicides daily. Youths are not getting jobs and industries are going away from Maharashtra,” he said.

The opposition leader said they expect discussions from crop insurance to farm loan waiver. The law and order situation in the state has worsened, he alleged and claimed that those behind the murder of the sarpanch in Beed have the government’s backing.

“The government doesn’t seem interested in addressing these issues. That’s why the MVA has decided to boycott the tea party,” he said.

Congress state chief Nana Patole demanded Rs 3 lakh loan waivers for farmers and increase in the monthly financial assistance to eligible women under the ‘Ladki Bahin’ programme from the current Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100.

He demanded a CBI probe into the sarpanch’s death.

NCP (SP) legislator Jitendra Awhad called the Beed incident a “politically motivated” killing. He alleged that 32 such murders took place in Beed in the last two years.

MVA leaders said they are united and there is no dispute over the assembly leader of the opposition. They said it would be decided during the winter session.

In the November 20 assembly polls, the Mahayuti scripted a landslide victory, winning 230 of the 288 seats in the state. The BJP led with 132 seats, followed by Shinde's Shiv Sena with 57 and Pawar's NCP getting 41. The MVA performed disastrously, winning only 46 seats.

Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the chief minister with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP head Ajit Pawar as his deputies at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on December 5. The cabinet expansion is happening on Sunday.