Mumbai: Maharashtra Legislature's winter session will begin today. It is anticipated to be quite a stormy affair for the BJP-Shiv Sena government as the Opposition is seeking to put the new regime under attack over issues pertaining to drought and farmers of the state.
This will be the first major session of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government after November 12 when the BJP had won a crucial trust vote on the floor of House with its then estranged partner Shiv Sena in opposition.
However, now Sena is part of the government and ten of its leaders are being allotted berths.
Suicides by farmers and drought conditions in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions are going to be prominent issues in the Assembly session with the NCP and Congress accusing the government of "doing precious little" for farmers.
Congress deputy leader in Assembly Vijay Vadettiwar said, "The new BJP-led government has failed to address the issues of agriculturists in Vidarbha where farmer suicide has once again raised its ugly head.
NCP has already demanded waiver of crop loans and electricity bills of the drought-affected farmers.
"NCP will raise issues of drought and welfare of affected farmers in upcoming Winter Session of the state legislature in Nagpur," the party spokesman Nawab Malik had said last week.
The Opposition has a battery of leaders like former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil of Congress and Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, R R Patil of NCP who have years of experience as ministers in their earlier roles.
This session is going to start without a Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly as Sena's Eknath Shinde, who had been holding the post until now, has been made a cabinet minister in the BJP government.
