Opposition to target State govt over governor’s comment, losing investment, agrarian distress,

Launching a slavo at Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government over agrarian distress and the State losing investment projects, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ajit Pawar on Sunday said that the Opposition parties unanimously decided to boycott the customary tea party on the eve of the winter session of State legislature to register their protest.

The State government will cornered by Opposition parties NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress over State Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s remark of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, simmering border row with Karnataka, agrarian distress, state losing investment projects and other issues, Pawar said. “In the past six months, the Shinde government has not been able to fulfil the expectations of the people of State,” Pawar opined.

“The Governor and ruling party leaders are making absurd statements about historical figures including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule. These ruling party leaders are not even bother to apologize for such statements. Chief Minister of Karnataka is doling out threats on border row. On the other hand, Maharashtra CM Shinde is not even speaking aggressively against the statement. In such a situation, some villages in the state expressed their desire to move to another state, but CM Shinde is not taking any concrete stand. Also, while the big-ticket investment projects prefer to move other states over Maharashtra, the CM and his ministher are watching helplessly. Therefore, lakhs of crores of investment has gone from Maharashtra and lakhs of youth lost their jobs,” expressed Pawar.  

On the issue of Vidarbha, Pawar said, “The problem of Vidarbha's backlog remains the same. The crops of lakhs of farmers were damaged in the recent heavy rains. However, the farmers have not received help from the State government.” The opposition will unitely fight for justice in Vidarbha region, he said and demanded that the winter session should be extended for at least three weeks.

DCM Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that he snatched the State government under the nose of MVA. Answering this, Pawar said, it is unfortunate that Fadnavis commented like this. “Fadnavis was the person who used to say that it was Shiv Sena’s internal affair and he had nothing to do with the crisis when Eknath Shinde rebelled. Later, Fadnavis started saying that I have taken revenge,” commented Pawar. He further said that Fadnavis and other leaders were in pain since the MVA government had come to power. From the first day of formation of the MVA government, they started working to overthrow the government, claimed Pawar.

LoP in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve (Shiv Sena UBT), MPCC Chief Nana Patole, NCP leaders and ex ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Sunil Kedar, Eknath Khadse, Jayant Patil (Shekap) and others were present in the press conference.

Uddhav Thackeray will attend session : Pawar 

According to Ajit Pawar, Former Maharashtra Chief minister and MLC Uddhav Thackeray will attend the winter session of the state legislature. “Uddhav Thackeray will be present for the winter session and a meeting of the opposition party will be organised on Monday afternoon,” Pawar said. Thackeray had not attended the monsoon session of the state legislature held in Mumbai.