Maharashtra budget session off to stormy start as opposition raises heat on Ajit Pawar's NCP

A long-standing tradition in Maharashtra politics is that incumbents invite opposition leaders for high tea on the eve of the legislative session's commencement as a goodwill gesture. However, the "real tradition" is that the opposition seldom participates and instead announces its boycott.

Keeping this tradition alive, the high tea organized by the Mahayuti government before the Budget Session was boycotted by opposition parties, implying that things will not be smooth for the incumbents.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has gathered enough ammunition to corner the Mahayuti government on issues of law and order and corruption, and this combative posture was evident on the session’s very first day.

Before the legislative session began on Monday morning, a group of MVA leaders marched to the stairs of the Vidhan Bhavan from the entrance, shouting slogans against Mahayuti and demanding the resignations of two ministers—Dhananjay Munde and Manikrao Kokate—both from Ajit Pawar's NCP.

Munde is on the opposition’s radar due to his proximity to alleged extortionist Valmiki Karad, a suspect in the brutal murder of a sarpanch in Beed. Meanwhile, Kokate is in hot water after being recently convicted by a court for fraudulently usurping government flats. Ajit Pawar has rejected demands for Munde’s resignation, claiming there is no evidence against him, while action against Kokate depends on the court's decision on his appeal to suspend the conviction. A Nashik court is likely to decide Kokate's fate on March 5.

Kokate’s issue echoed inside the Vidhan Bhavan as well. Incumbent and opposition MLAs verbally clashed on the Vidhan Sabha floor while a motion of condolence for the late PM Manmohan Singh was in progress. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the opposition's sloganeering, saying it was inappropriate to create such a ruckus while paying homage to a leader who had contributed greatly to the nation.

While the first day of the session concluded by noon, significant fireworks are expected in the coming weeks, as the session is likely to stretch for four weeks. The opposition has planned to put the government on the defensive over women's safety. One case to be raised involves a woman raped on a state transport bus in Pune. Another issue the opposition is set to highlight is the recent molestation of a Union minister’s daughter by a group of young men at a religious fair.

The budget, to be presented by Finance Minister Ajit Pawar on March 10, will reveal whether the government intends to increase the monthly payout for women under its Ladki Bahin Yojana scheme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100. One of Mahayuti's pre-poll promises was to raise the amount once back in power.

The budget session will also answer the question of who will be the Leader of Opposition from MVA. Both Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are keen to install their leaders in the post. While the Thackeray-led Sena plans to propose Aaditya Thackeray’s name, this could trigger internal discord within the party. Aaditya is considered too junior, and stalwarts like Bhaskar Jadhav are hopeful for the position. The Leader of Opposition enjoys the status of a cabinet minister.