Maharashtra legislature session to go stormy

After a gap of 57 years, the winter session of Maharashtra legislature is set to commence in Mumbai from Monday. The session is historic as the budget and monsoon sessions of Maharashtra legislature are held in Mumbai while the winter session in Nagpur.

This time, the government had to hold the monsoon session in Nagpur - after a gap of 47 years. For the first time since 1961, the winter session is being held in Mumbai. As per the Nagpur Pact of 1953, that eventually led to the creation of Maharashtra, Nagpur was accorded the status of second capital and entails that one session should be held there.

However, it is not going to be an easy sailing for the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena saffron alliance government as the two principal Opposition parties Congress and NCP, which had decided to go together in the 2019 polls, is armed with several issues.

The session is expected to kickstart on a stormy note.

The drought condition in almost half the geographical area, the Maratha reservation issue and the killing of tigress Avni by the forest department are some of the issues that would come up for discussion during the 19-30 November sitting.

Even as the rift between BJP and Sena is wide open on several issues, the forthcoming 24-25 November visit of Uddhav Thackeray to Ayodhya, during which he would reiterate the demand for the Ram Temple, comes midway during the session.

The 10th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks too come during the session and security of Mumbai would come under scrutiny.

The drought in 151 tehsils in 26 of the 36 districts of the state is a major issue.

The state government had sought a relief of Rs 7,000 crore from the Centre as part of drought mitigation measures.

The leader of Opposition in Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of Congress and his counterpart in Council of NCP had already targetted Fadnavis saying that his flagship scheme, the JalYukt Shivar Abhiyan - meant to make 25,000 villages drought free had failed miserably.

As far as the Maratha reservation is concerned, the government is expected to bring in a bill, however, there is no official word on it. There would be a renewed demand for Dhangars in ST quota and Muslims as well. Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is all set to come under fire for the killing of tigress Avni which already had snowballed into a political issue.