Mumbai, Feb 22 (NationPress) The upcoming month-long Budget session set to commence on February 23 is anticipated to be contentious, as the opposition coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi, prepares to confront the ruling Mahayuti government on multiple issues.

For the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena-Shinde, and NCP-Sunetra Pawar, this Budget session represents a crucial opportunity to maintain their political strength, particularly following their remarkable success in recent local body elections, all while navigating a significant leadership change.

This session holds particular importance as it signifies a shift in the state’s political leadership and encounters a legislative void due to the unexpected passing of Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar.

In contrast, despite their numerical disadvantage and the absence of a formal Leader of the Opposition (LoP), the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP), aims to leverage this session to hold the government accountable. They plan to raise various issues, including concerns about onions, paddy, soybeans, cotton, the current state of finances amidst rising public debt, revenue and fiscal deficits, decreased capital expenditure, and overdue payments to contractors involved in ongoing development initiatives.

The Budget session, which will run until March 25, will kick off with the Governor’s address on the first day, followed by a condolence motion for the late Ajit Pawar, with discussions anticipated to last the entire day. Regular legislative activities will commence the following day.

This will be the first session since former Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar tragically died in a plane crash on January 28. His spouse, Sunetra Pawar, will make her first appearance in the legislature as Deputy Chief Minister.

The opposition, spearheaded by NCP-SP leader Rohit Pawar, is expected to demand a thorough investigation or a CBI inquiry into the crash, asserting that Ajit Pawar’s death may not have been an accident but rather a potential political conspiracy.

Although the ruling party holds a substantial majority compared to the opposition’s smaller representation—which allowed them to maintain control in the previous three sessions of the past year—Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has faced criticism regarding the selection of questions and the number of "Calling Attention" motions. Even ministers have expressed concerns over the increasing frequency of these motions.

Claims made by Shiv Sena-UBT leader Bhaskar Jadhav, alleging that monetary inducements were offered for asking questions, had previously stirred controversy.

The opposition has devised a plan to challenge Speaker Narwekar. Allegations surfaced that during the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation elections, Narwekar was present at the municipal office and employed intimidation tactics to ensure that three members of his family were elected unopposed. A video of this incident circulated on social media. Following this, another video emerged from Alibaug showing Narwekar exiting the site after a farmer objected to a land survey.

Shiv Sena Group Leader Bhaskar Jadhav stated that the opposition will demand explanations from Narwekar regarding both incidents.

Jadhav further alleged that Narwekar has undermined the integrity of the Speaker's position. Additionally, since Narwekar has not acted on the opposition's request for a Leader of the Opposition in the past year, they are unlikely to miss any opportunity to hold him accountable.

In the wake of Ajit Pawar’s accidental death, the Finance portfolio is currently managed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who will unveil the state Budget on March 6.

Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the Congress Legislative Party, mentioned that they will question the Chief Minister on various matters, including the 36-hour traffic disruption on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway caused by a tanker overturning and a section of Metro construction collapsing in Mulund, resulting in one fatality and three injuries.

He further asserted that the opposition would highlight how these incidents in Pune and Mulund expose the government’s claims of effective infrastructure development as misleading. Topics concerning the agriculture department, such as cotton, paddy, onions, and soybeans, will also be debated. Although aid was promised for farmers affected by unseasonal rain last year, many have yet to receive it, and numerous farmers still await benefits from the 2017 loan waiver.

The opposition intends to hold the government accountable, emphasizing that CM Fadnavis had committed to resolving farm loan waivers by June.

The Congress party will also raise concerns regarding the impact of the India-US trade agreement on the farmers of the state. They will question when the monthly subsidy for the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana' will increase from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100.

As for the Mahayuti government, they plan to counter the opposition by highlighting numerous achievements, not only in electoral politics but also in striving towards the ambitious goal of a one trillion dollar economy by 2030 and a five trillion dollar economy by 2047 as part of the Viksit Maharashtra mission.

However, CM Fadnavis faces the challenging task of balancing populist welfare initiatives with managing a state debt that has surpassed Rs 9 lakh crore. The government is likely to continue significant allocations for the Ladki Bahin Yojana, providing a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women beneficiaries. Substantial funding is expected for the Pune-Nashik High-Speed Rail, the Mumbai Water Metro, and the Vadhavan Port project. Furthermore, a "climate-resilient agriculture" package is anticipated to be announced to tackle erratic weather patterns in Marathwada and Vidarbha, employing artificial intelligence.

CM Fadnavis has already indicated that Maharashtra’s finances are being strained by various welfare schemes, such as the Ladki Bahin Yojana, yet he claims the state continues to meet essential economic stability indicators and remains among the strongest state economies in the nation. In presenting the budget, the chief minister’s primary objective will be to demonstrate that Mahayuti can support extensive welfare programs without jeopardizing the state’s fiscal health.

Simultaneously, the legislature will conduct elections for seven Rajya Sabha seats on March 16. High-profile figures whose terms are concluding include Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) and Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A). Based on current Assembly numbers, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is projected to secure six out of the seven seats. Since the MVA can only win one seat, the internal competition between Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP) over who will claim that seat (possibly Sharad Pawar) will be a subplot that the ruling party will aim to capitalize on.

(Sanjay Jog can be reached at sanjay.j@ians.in)