The law and order situation, garbage crisis in Bangalore, sugarcane growers issue, friction in the top echelon of Bangalore police and issues concerning the state like Cauvery are expected to figure in the session, the longest in recent years.
The ruling Congress itself is grappling with a litany of complaints against the style of functioning of several ministers, with party legislators giving vent to their displeasure about their inaccessibility at the Congress Legislature Party meeting early this week. Congress is also facing an internal pressure from several ministerial aspirants for expansion, but the Chief Minister has made it clear that it will happen only after the session ends. KPCC President G Parameshwara, who is said to be keen on becoming Deputy Chief Minister, had given strong indications that there would be a reshuffle in the cabinet, as several ministers are under the scanner for not performing up to the mark.
Fresh from its impressive performance in the recently held Lok Sabha polls, BJP is on a high having made a good recovery of the ground it had lost in the May 2013 Assembly polls when it yielded power to Congress. Despite all-out efforts made by Congress to replicate its Assembly polls success, BJP won 17 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats, leaving nine to the ruling party and two to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD-S.
Opposition leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar has indicated that the party would have floor coordination with JD-S, wherever possible, in taking on the Congress government. JD-S legislators are also back from Sri Lanka where they held meetings discussing ways to strengthen the party and are also ready with their ammunition against the government.
The raging row between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the issue of the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board is also expected to come up for discussion, with the neighbouring state aggressively pushing for its case and building pressure on the Centre to meet its demand.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa has said it would be a 27-day working day session which would conclude on July 30. He has also said the Siddaramaiah government was keen on conducting at least 60 days of legislature session a year.
According to the Karnataka Conduct of Government Business in the State Legislature Act, 2005, the two houses are mandated to meet for at least 60 days in a calendar, which has been observed more in breach. This session will also see the return of the old system of conducting department-wise discussion on demands for grants with ministers holding relevant portfolios answering queries raised by the members.
