Monsoon Session: Despite reduced numbers, Opposition in Maharashtra vows to take government head on

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said the seniority of the remaining MLAs will be enough to corner the state government on various issues.

Danve said that despite the reduced strength, the experience and seniority of the remaining MLAs will be enough to corner the state government on various issues. (File)

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A day ahead of the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra legislature, Opposition parties Sunday claimed that despite the reduced numbers on their side, they will continue to question the state government on issues affecting the common people and will make the ruling side answerable.

“Yes, we have less numbers. But even Aurangzeb had attacked Maharashtra with forces in lakhs. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had few thousand in his army, but he defeated Aurangzeb. We will do the same,” said Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council. The Sena (UBT) leader was addressing a joint press conference of the Opposition parties.

Since Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs led by Ajit Pawar joined the ruling dispensation, the government now stands with a mammoth majority of 207 MLAs in the 288-member Legislative Assembly. The Opposition, on the other hand, has just 81 MLAs.

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Danve said that despite the reduced strength, the experience and seniority of the remaining MLAs will be enough to corner the state government on various issues. “This government was busy breaking the party, but had no time to stop suicides of farmers. The law-and-order situation in the state has deteriorated so much that people are living in fear every day. Price rise is destroying the budget of middle-class households,” he said.

“Agencies are being used to eliminate the Opposition by filing false cases and ministers are embroiled in corruption scandals,” Danve added. He, along with NCP’s Eknath Khadse and Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan of the Congress announced that the Opposition will boycott the tea-party called by the state government.

Asked if the Opposition, especially the NCP, is struggling to stay united during the session, Khadse said, “We stand united. We will follow the whip issued by the party led by Sharad Pawar only.”

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Danve reiterated that the present government led by Eknath Shinde is ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘unethical’, and claimed that the Supreme Court termed Shinde’s appointment as group leader illegal.

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Earlier, the Opposition parties held a joint meeting to discuss the strategy for the Monsoon Session and issues to be raised against the ruling side.

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