 "Devendra Fadnavis")
Other issues likely to be discussed during the session, which begins on December 5 are - burgeoning malnutrition deaths, reservation demand for the politically influential Maratha community, rapidly falling prices of agricultural produce, state of finance in the wake of rising revenue deficit and the uncertainty over the launch of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The Opposition is geared up to attack the government on the common man's plight after the withdrawal of high-value notes as well as the plight of farmers as the district central cooperative banks and primary agricultural cooperative societies face a liquidity crunch.
However, it is advantage Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He has emerged as an architect of the BJP's sterling performance in the recently held elections to the 164 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats. Fadnavis will make every attempt to further divide Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) during the session.
The Congress and NCP have miserably failed to outsmart BJP and its ruling partner Shiv Sena due to lack of alliance. Another factor which is partly seen as the reason behind the poor performance of the Congress and NCP is that few established leaders neglected new generation and fielded members of their respective families. Post results of the elections to the Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat, which were termed as Mini Assembly poll, leaders of both the parties were engaged in blame game.
Fadnavis, who has silenced his critics and rivals within BJP and Shiv Sena, will also keep Shiv Sena in good humour, despite its outburst against demonetisation. He has already offered to continue the alliance in the ensuing election to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies, slated for February-March next year. Fadnavis has asserted that demonetisation woes will be over after December-end. The chief minister has also spoken about the government's intention to opt for cashless transactions soon.
More From This Section
Moreover, the Opposition will take on the government on the dip in cotton prices to Rs 4,800 per quintal against Rs 6,000 per quintal as promised by the BJP in its poll manifesto and fall in soyabean prices to Rs 2,700 per quintal from Rs 3,200 per quintal, especially in Vidarbha and parts of Marathwada.
Despite a humiliating defeat, the Congress and NCP along with other smaller parties will question the government's intent on providing 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community, which constitutes 33 per cent of the state population. Maratha Kranti Morcha, which has so far organised 26 morchas to press for reservation, review of Atrocity Act and protest rape and murder of young girl in Kopardi village, has organised a massive morcha at Nagpur on December 14. The government is planning to file a comprehensive affidavit in the Bombay High Court, which is expected to hear the petitions in the near future.
Further, opposition leaders, Radhkrishna Vikhe Patil and Dhananjar Munde said that they will not spare Fadnavis for the "rising crimes in his home town Nagpur and rest of Maharashtra". Fadnavis is in charge of the key home department.
Besides, Cooperation Minister Subhash Deshmukh and Tribal Affairs Minister Vishnu Savra are also on the Opposition's radar. Deshmukh courted controversy after Rs 91 lakh was recovered from a car in Osmanabad in the Marathwada region which belonged to the Lok Mangal Group headed by him. Although Deshmukh has been given a clean chit by the Co-operation Department, the Opposition is unwilling to accept it and is likely to corner the government on the issue. Savra, however, is being charged of corruption in the purchase of sweaters to be distributed to tribal students.
