Last legislative match before Maharashtra Assembly polls

Vidhan Bhavan at Nariman Point. File pic

Beginning Thursday, the last sitting of the current state Legislative Assembly is expected to showcase the NDA's strategy, post the Lok Sabha debacle, to outsmart the Opposition on the floor of the house and in the October elections. Populist announcements are on the anvil, to be made over the next few days, including the budget day during the 13-day Monsoon Session that will also provide a buoyant MVA with a platform to attack the government.

Things on the cards are a Madhya Pradesh-like (Ladli Behna yojana) monthly financial assistance scheme for women and other measures that may give the government good traction. Government funding for the ruling alliance MLAs is likely to be increased so more development work in the constituencies.

On the legislation side, the government is expected to bring an anti-paper leak law. The Centre has notified such a law last week. The Maharashtra government had decided to legislate a similar law in December 2023, and a draft committee was appointed under a retired secretary Kishorraje Nimbalkar. The committee had submitted its work in March. Currently, the law and judiciary department is working on it.

A decision about the old pension scheme is also expected during the session. Meetings in this regard were held on Monday between the government employees' representatives and the chief secretary. On the socio-political front, the Maratha and OBC quota issues may reflect in the session's business. Given an independent quota, Marathas want to be included in the existing OBC quota instead of a special category. The OBC leadership, cutting across the party lines, has come together to counter the Maratha pressure.

The additional annual budget that Finance Minister Ajit Pawar will present on June 28 is expected to have populist schemes and welfare measures that will focus on fetching an immediate electoral advantage. Both sides will debate the budget. The session will end on July 12.

The Opposition - albeit very small in numbers as compared to the ruling benches - is expected to be in attack mode inside and outside the house, especially after its good performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The Opposition is expected to rake up the NEET scam, in which some suspects have been traced to Maharashtra's NEET/JEE coaching hub of Latur. In addition, the agrarian crisis and law and order will be the Opposition's priority.

Opposition leaders will hold a joint press conference today to make their intent and grievances public. Like in past instances, MVA leaders are expected to reject an invitation to the customary tea party the chief minister hosts on the eve of the legislative session.

CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will also address a joint press conference after the tea party and the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening. The trio will submit the government's views and respond to the Opposition's premise.