'Pawar-play' may stump Maharashtra assembly session

Battle lines have been drawn between the ruling Congress-NCP government and opposition parties for the two-week winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, starting on Monday in Nagpur.

The Shiv Sena has already moved a no-confidence motion against the Prithviraj Chavan-led Democratic Front government.

And, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said it would not allow proceedings in both Houses till the government sets up a special investigation team to probe the irrigation scam and the alleged involvement of Ajit Pawar, the NCL leader, reinducted this week as deputy chief minister.

Both the Shiv Sena-BJP and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have termed the position paper released recently by the state government on the irrigation sector, giving a clean chit to Ajit Pawar, as eyewash.

They have a also announced they would grill the government on other issues such as alleged failure to handle drought in 122 talukas, deteriorating law and older, rising mismatch between power demand and supply and corruption in tribal development and toll collection.

Further, the opposition is determined to oppose implementation of foreign direct investment in multi-brand retailing and they expect to isolate the Congress party in this regard.

The NCP has already told the Congress not to take it for granted on the FDI issue but to take it into confidence before any implementation.

More, the government would face a tough task on the proposal removal of the makeshift memorial to the late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, in the state capital's Shivaji Park. Chavan has already said he would not allow the structure to remain.

On the irrigation scam and the government's position paper, Shiv Sena is in favour of a debate in the legislature, while the BJP opposes any till an SIT is formed.

NCP legislator and spokesman Shashikant Shinde has dared the opposition to hold a debate on the issue and said his party in particular is ready for a counter-attack.

The government says it would make Maharashtra free of power cuts shortly, while the opposition parties says the electricity deficit is rising and the distribution company buying more and more costly power.

Energy minister Rajesh Tope has contested the opposition's charge and said 80 per cent of Maharashtra is already load-shedding.

He has also contested the charge of costly procurement of power from the private sector, bypassing the state generation company.

The government is likely to have a tough time in handling the issue of drought and attempts by affected regions to get water released from various irrigation projects.

Members of the ruling coalition are also at the forefront in trying to get more water, with some opposing the release of water from their respective regions.

The opposition has also charged the government with failing to get substantial financial assistance from the Centre in this regard.