Maharashtra Assembly Monsoon Session Adjourned Amid Protest by MVA; NCP MLAs Face ‘Seating’ Dilemma – News18

The monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature adjourned for the day amidst strong protests by the opposition on the opening day. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies staged a protest and raised slogans against the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP (breakaway faction) outside the Vidhan Bhavan as the session started.

This is the first legislative session after the entry of NCP led by former Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ajit Pawar in the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government.

The three-week-long session will be held from July 17 to August 4 at the Vidhan Bhavan Complex in Nariman Point.

According to an ANI report, there are a total of 24 proposed bills in the monsoon session. Of these, 10 have received the nod from the Cabinet and 14 are awaiting approval.

Maharashtra Assembly Monsoon Session Latest Updates

• The NCP MLAs received two contrasting instructions for seating in the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly. While rebel leader Ajit Pawar issued a whip asking the MLAs to sit with the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, Sharad Pawar-led NCP’s chief whip Jitendra Awhad asked the legislators to sit on the opposition benches.
• According to a PTI report, Chief whip of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) Jitendra Awhad also wrote to the Maharashtra Assembly speaker seeking separate sitting arrangements for members of the Ajit Pawar camp and the rest of MLAs of the party for the monsoon session.
  • Ahead of the commencement of the monsoon session, Maharashtra Congress MLAs on Sunday staged a protest outside the Maharashtra Assembly. NCP MLAs belonging to the Sharad Pawar faction were not part of the protest.
  • The MLAs, led by former minister Yashomati Thakur and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, gathered on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan and raised slogans against the current government.

• Congress state President Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab said that the MVA allies will hold a meeting later today to decide the further course of action.
• Meanwhile, the second Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar met with the Speaker of the Maharashtra legislative assembly ahead of the monsoon session today.
• Ajit Pawar also offered garland to the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in Vidhan Bhavan.
• A day before the commencement of the monsoon session, Maharashtra Congress on Sunday staked claim on the Leader of Opposition (LoP) post in the state Assembly, its legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat said.
• The LoP post had been lying vacant since after Ajit Pawar resigned on July 2 and joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government as the second Deputy Chief Minister.