Maharashtra monsoon session likely to be stormy

Amid changing political equations, the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislature is set to be stormy with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi - though with depleted strength - is likely to corner the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government.

The three-week session would be held from July 17 till August 4 at the Vidhan Bhavan Complex at Nariman Point in Mumbai.

It would be a sort of litmus test for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the two Deputy Chief Ministers - Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar - to avoid rough weather.

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With the 2024 Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha polls months away, it is a challenge for both the three-party BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government and the tri-party opposition comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led group of Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar-headed group of the NCP.

The two rebellions in a span of a year - 20 June, 2022 in Shiv Sena and 2 July, 2023 in NCP - has changed the political course of Maharashtra.

The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) is mounting pressure on Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide on the disqualification pleas against the rebels including Shinde and has moved the Supreme Court, which has now sent notice to the presiding officer of the Lower House.

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Both sides of the NCP - has pushed for disqualification of each other’s MLAs -- the side led by Pawar pushing for disqualification of his nephew and 8 NCP ministers while the Ajit Pawar group has sought disqualification of state NCP President Jayant Patil and Chief Whip Jitendra Awhad.

In both - the Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar-Supriya Sule) vs NCP (Ajit Pawar-Praful Patel) what call the Speaker takes is going to be crucial.

In the Opposition benches the Congress has emerged as the biggest party and is expected to formally stake claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. In fact, after the NCP rebellion, the party appointed Awhad as Leader of the Opposition in place of Ajit Pawar, which however was turned down by the Speaker saying that it would be his call. Now the Congress party’s MVA partners Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP seem to have agreed to give the post to the grand old party.

As far as the Council is concerned, Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT) is the Leader of the Opposition. However, Deputy Chairperson Dr Neelam Gorhe has switched to the Shinde-camp. On the other hand, the post of Chairperson is vacant after the tenure of Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar ended. Incidentally, Naik-Nimbalkar is the father-in-law of Narwekar.

The MVA has been claiming that the entry of Ajit Pawar means that Shinde could be on his way out, though the government has repeatedly denied this.

What has come as more important is the recent statement of Fadnavis, who said BJP’s alliance with Eknath Shinde was an “emotional alliance” while that with Ajit Pawar-led NCP is “political friendship” - which would get stronger over the years and turn into a similar relationship.

A large section of Shiv Sena MLAs and Independents supporting Shinde are unhappy over Ajit Pawar’s entry into the alliance.

As regards issues, the MVA would raise the incidents of communal clashes in a dozen places across the state and the law and order situation. The deficient rainfall is also a major issue.