The brief winter session of the Maharashtra legislature from 22-28 December is all set to be stormy with the opposition BJP ready to target the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation with a host of issues like Maratha reservation, political reservation vis-a-vis OBCs, Covid-19 pandemic situation and the Anil Deshmukh-Param Bir Singh row.
The MVA, however, is planning to make the BJP uncomfortable on the issue of the October 2 Cordelia cruise ship raid in which 20 persons including Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested.
NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik, who is the Minority Affairs Minister, has been targeting NCB’s Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede and has accused the BJP of protecting him. Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan was arrested in a drugs case, however, he has been granted bail.
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The alleged desecration of a statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bengaluru and the long-pending Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute involving Belgaum is also expected to figure during the Vidhan Sabha proceedings.
For Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is back after surgery, it would not be easy sailing - as the BJP will target him on multiple fronts, particularly after the Supreme Court turning down political reservations for OBCs in local bodies.
The Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is expected to be elected during the session through a voice vote.
The post of the Speaker has been vacant since the resignation of Nana Patole, who took over as the Maharashtra Congress President. “The election process for the post of Speaker takes at least three days, so the election could not take place so far. In the winter session, however, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly will be elected by voice vote,” Patole said.
Three-time MLA from Bhor, Sangram Thopte, is the frontrunner for the coveted post.
The nearly two-month-old strike by the employees of the Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will also figure as it has affected the common people badly including during the festive season of Diwali. State Transport Minister Anil Parab, who is a close aide of Thackeray, is facing severe criticism over the handling of the issue.
The Shakti Bill, which has been drafted on the lines of the Disha Act, is also expected to come up for discussion.
The winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature is generally held in Nagpur, however, because of the pandemic situation, it is being held in Mumbai.
Addressing a rally in Gondia on Saturday, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has set the tone ahead of the sitting of the two Houses. “This MVA government is more interested in reducing liquor price than petrol, more interested in giving concessions to builders and bar owners than our farmers. Now, citizens of Maharashtra are trying to search for a Government who governs but people are unable to find any,” he said.
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