BJP Set to Dominate Winter Session, Opposition Struggles to Find Base
After winning the Assembly polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the government is currently in a strong position. The Winter Session of the Maharashtra Assembly is set to begin on December 7 in Nagpur, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to take control, despite having two additional parties in the coalition. The recent victories have boosted the BJP's confidence, making it a tough force. This further complicates matters for the already divided Maha Vikas Aaghadi (MVA), putting the government on the defensive. The lack of enthusiasm among MVA constituents is evident, as highlighted by Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar's statement that "There is hardly anything to do as the session has been curtailed to 10 days."
As per the usual practice, major opposition parties usually organize marches to showcase their strength during the Winter session of the State Legislature. However, until last week, the MVA had not planned any march targeting the government. After facing strong criticism from the media, the Congress party decided to organize a march on the first day of the second week of the session. Similarly, the Yuva Sangharsh Morcha, led by MLA Rohit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), extended its concluding day to December 12 to coincide with the session. Originally scheduled to end in the first week of December, the MVA is now making last-minute, weak efforts to demonstrate its effectiveness. The MVA partners also seem unprepared to counter the Bills and resolutions to be discussed during the session. When questioned by the media, leaders of MVA constituents could not identify any particular issue that could corner the Eknath Shinde-led government.
The Opposition is expected to raise the issue of the Maratha reservation, but there are differences among the partners on this matter. MVA leaders from Vidarbha are advocating for OBC reservation, which has led to clashes between leaders from the OBC and Maratha communities. Within the Congress party, leaders such as Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar, Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan, and Prithviraj Chavan are not in agreement. The MVA appears to lack a clear agenda and stance. Therefore, it does not seem to pose a significant challenge to the government in the hometown of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
This Winter Session is the last for this legislature, as the state is heading for Assembly elections next year. Political analysts predict that MVA's helplessness is likely to be reflected in the polls. In contrast, the BJP, buoyed by confidence from recent victories, is expected to dominate not only the opposition but also its own alliance partners—the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group). With a magic number of 105, the BJP has increased its influence within its own alliance.
