Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Convenes for Three Days Starting December 7, Speaker Election and Floor Test on December 9

Mumbai, December 5 (NationPress) A three-day session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is set to take place from December 7 to 9, during which newly elected members will take their oaths, and Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan will deliver an address at the joint session.

According to Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar, the 288 members of the 15th Assembly will be sworn in on December 7 and 8.

On December 9, Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan will address the joint session, and the election for the position of Assembly Speaker will take place. Additionally, the Mahayuti government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will seek to conduct a floor test that same day.

Pawar also mentioned that following the oath-taking ceremony, the Chief Minister, along with two Deputy Chief Ministers (Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde), will visit Chaityabhoomi in Dadar to pay tribute to BR Ambedkar on his death anniversary (Mahaparinirvan Din). The Maharashtra government has declared a public holiday in Mumbai on December 6, with all government offices in Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban district closed on Friday. Furthermore, liquor stores will also be shut.

Pawar indicated that he would hold discussions with NCP leaders during the session and subsequently address matters regarding cabinet berths. He noted that the Mahayuti partners, which include BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, will collaborate on a formula for distributing the cabinet positions and portfolios. The BJP has already declined Shinde’s request for the home department but has agreed to assign the urban development department.

Pawar suggested that the cabinet expansion could occur on December 11 or 12 prior to the upcoming winter session of the state legislature, which is scheduled to begin on December 16 in Nagpur. This session will last from December 16 to 21, and on December 15, the Chief Minister will host a traditional tea meeting with opposition members after presiding over the state cabinet.

Sources from the Mahayuti stated that Ajit Pawar is anticipated to retain the finance and planning departments and will present the supplementary demands necessary for financing existing expenses and various welfare and development initiatives, including the Ladki Bahin Yojana worth Rs 96,000 crore, which was announced by Ajit Pawar ahead of the state Assembly elections.

Previously, Ajit Pawar had submitted supplementary demands amounting to Rs 94,000 crore on July 9 after the presentation of the annual budget of Rs 6,12,293 crore for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Additionally, the state government may announce a comprehensive crop loan waiver for farmers and a strategy to stabilize the prices of essential goods across the state to ensure they remain affordable for the general populace. These initiatives were among the ten promises made by the Mahayuti during the pre-election period.

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