The ongoing high-decibel political and legal battle between rival Shiv Sena groups is set to reverberate in the Maharashtra Assembly as its budget session begins on February 27.
The opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Congress boycotted a tea party organized by the government on 26 February, the eve of the budget session.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took a dig at the opposition for boycotting the traditional tea party and said it was good that those with links with terrorist Dawood Ibrahim did not turn up for it.
He was apparently referring to former state minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik, who has been in jail since his arrest last year in a money-laundering case linked to the activities of Dawood Ibrahim and his associates.
The budget session began with newly appointed Governor Ramesh Bais delivering his maiden address to the joint sitting of the state legislature.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Finance and Planning portfolios, will present the first budget of the Shinde-led government in the Assembly on March 9.
The session will end on March 25.
Maharashtra delegation will meet PM Modi to demand classical language status to Marathi
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed the state legislative assembly that a delegation would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek classical language status for Marathi.
Shri Shinde gave the assurance in the House on the first day of the budget session.
“A delegation of legislators will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a request to seek classical language status for Marathi. Along with officials, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and I will meet the Prime Minister and demand action on this.
NCP MLA Chhagan Bhujbal raised the issue in the Assembly and sought details regarding the long-pending demand of granting classical language status to Marathi.
Opposition demands resolution of border dispute with Karnataka, honors historical figures
On the first day of the budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature, opposition members demanded fair price for food grains to farmers, resolution of the border dispute with Karnataka and respect for historical figures.
Legislators from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction and other parties gathered on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan and raised slogans to put forth their demands.
“The state government should ensure that historical figures are respected in the state. The government needs to come up with plans to ensure fair prices for foodgrains as well as resolve the pending Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue,” said an MLA.
Opposition members also referred to the ruling Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state as the “ED” government.
A controversy had erupted in November 2022 when the then Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, said that warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an “icon of the old times” and personalities from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to Nitin Gadkari were modern icons of the state.
The boundary issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka dates back to 1957 after the reorganization of states on linguistic basis. Maharashtra laid claim to the Belagavi district of Karnataka, which was then part of the Bombay Presidency, because of its sizeable Marathi-speaking population.
It also laid claim to 814 Marathi-speaking villages that are currently part of the southern state. Karnataka, however, considers the demarcation done on linguistic basis as per the States Reorganization Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final.
Maharashtra government will organize 600 job fairs during the financial year: Governor Ramesh Bais
The Maharashtra government will organize 600 job fairs in the financial year 2022-23, Governor Ramesh Bais informed the state legislature.
“MoU signed with 45 companies to create 1.25 lakh jobs. Twenty-four project proposals have been approved, amounting to an investment of Rs 87,774 crore, creating 61,000 jobs,” Mr Bais said in his address.
He said the state government signed MoUs with 19 companies for investment worth Rs 1.37 lakh crore at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos last month.
The governor said, “My government has successfully organized training for 4.85 lakh youth and 2.81 lakh farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.”
He said that the State Government has increased the pension of freedom fighters and their spouses from Rs.10,000 to Rs.20,000 per month.
Earlier, the Governor reached the Vidhan Bhawan to deliver his speech, where he was received by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council Dr. Neelam Gorhe, Deputy Speaker Narhari Jirwal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil.
The Governor was also given a ceremonial guard of honour.
NCP MLA arrives to join with four-month-old son, BJP MLA uses walker
Nationalist Congress Party MLA Saroj Babulal Ahire arrives with her newborn baby to attend the first day of the winter session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, at the state assembly, in Nagpur. file | Photo Credit: ANI
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Saroj Ahire grabbed eyeballs on February 27 when she arrived in Mumbai carrying her four-month-old son on the first day of the budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature.
Ms Ahire also took the child with her during the winter session of the Legislature held in December last year at Nagpur.
“There is a Hirkani unit in Vidhan Bhawan which women can use to feed their children. The provision is for all working women,” said an official at Vidhan Bhawan.
However, Ms Ahire complained of dust in one of the Hirkani units in Vidhan Bhawan.
“I hope the authorities will clear these rooms,” he told reporters at the Legislature Complex.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Jayakumar Gore, who was injured in a car accident in December 2022, arrived on a walker to attend the budget session.
In the past, the then Finance Minister of the state, Jayant Patil, presented the budget in the House sitting on a wheelchair.
CM Shinde-led Shiv Sena issues whip for full attendance
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has issued a whip to all its MLAs to be present throughout the budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature, which began on February 27. Former CM Uddhav Thackeray.
The Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government fell in June 2022 after Shinde and 39 other MLAs rebelled against the party leadership.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently allotted the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol to the Shinde-led block.
Amid the Shiv Sena controversy, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar said on February 23 that he had not received representation from any group claiming to be a separate party in the lower house.
The Speaker told PTI that there is only one Shiv Sena with 55 MLAs led by Shinde and MLA Bharat Gogawale has been recognized as its chief whip.
Mr. Narvekar has approved the appointment of Shinde as the leader of the Legislature Party.
Mr Gogawale said on the evening of February 26, “We have issued a whip to all Shiv Sena MLAs to be present throughout the budget session. If any MLA does not follow it, he will have to face action.
Notably, during a hearing in the Supreme Court (SC) last week on a petition by the Uddhav Thackeray faction challenging the Election Commission’s decision to recognize the Shinde-led block as the real Shiv Sena, senior advocates appearing for the Shinde block NK Kaul appeared. SC assured the bench that it will not take steps like issuing whip or initiating disqualification proceedings against the Thackeray faction MPs – MLAs, MLCs and MPs – for the time being.
Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Mr Thackeray, had given the assurance that “tomorrow, if they issue whip or letter and if we don’t we will be disqualified. Now they are party. I don’t have any security. Your Lordship should at least give us the status quo. This prompted the SC bench to ask, “If we take [petition for hearing] After two weeks, are you in the process of issuing a whip to him or disqualifying him.” “No, no,” replied Mr. Kaul. When asked about it, Mr. Gogavale said, “The relief is only for two weeks. Asking MLAs to attend the session for the full time is not an action against them. We will know who joins and who doesn’t.