Fireworks expected in Maharashtra legislature's winter session

Both the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are expected to take on the BJP-Sena govt over issues such as drought and farmer suicides

Fireworks are expected at the two-week winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, to start on Monday at the second capital, Nagpur.

Though the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance has a comfortable majority in the Assembly, it has a huge challenge regarding its promises on a number of issues.

These include the special relief and rehabilitation package for drought- and untimely rain-hit farmers, measures to combat farmer suicides, power supply, rise in the procurement price for cotton, soybean and milk, and law  and order situation. The Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have said they’d be “exposing” the government's allegedly inept handling since it assumed office on October 31.

Also, when in opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, now the chief minister , and other members of the BJP-Sena, had criticised the Congress-NCP government for restricting the winter session to two to three weeks instead of at least six weeks. The onus of doing so is now on Fadnavis, who comes from Nagpur and has also been a strong advocate of statehood for the Vidarbha region.

The BJP and Sena had promised abolition of Local  Body Tax (LBT) and toll tax. The Opposition plans to corner the government on these issues. Fadnavis and finance minister Sudhir Mungan-tiwar had said LBT would be scrapped once the government found an alternative  cess. In the case of toll, the CM has already admitted it  cannot be fully cancelled —he’d said the collection will be made ‘transparent’.

Revenue minister Eknath Khadse told Business Standard: “The government is fully prepared to counter the Opposition tirade. We are committed to implement a relief package for drought-hit farmers. The Centre has already assured assistance. Besides, the government will hold a  debate on the backlog of (projects for) Vidarbha and Marathwada in particular, based on the Vijay Kelkar committee report.”

Congress legislature party leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said the party would be an aggressive and vigilant opposition, in and outside the legislature. “Already, the Congress party has announced a morcha on Monday against the government’s failure to effectively handle the drought situation in 123 talukas and burgeoning cases of farmers’ suicides. The government has failed to do enough for the farmers from these districts and the party will strongly demand a  comprehensive relief package. Further, farmers are getting Rs 3,500-4,000 a quintal (qtl) for cotton; our demand is for Rs 6,000 a qtl.”

NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said the government would have to implement a series of measures to tackle drought and curb farmer suicides.

Both the Congress and NCP have independently staked claim for the post of leader of the opposition in the assembly, after the Sena joined the government. Vikhe Patil said the Congress with 42 MLAs deserves the post; the NCP, with 41 MLAs, has argued it had a pre-poll arrangement with the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, which has three legislators, and an independent, Ravi Rana. The Speaker will give a ruling.