Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. (File Photo)
Anticipating a logjam in the state legislature over the farm loan waiver issue, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to pre-empt any disruption in the proceedings of the House. In a bid to blunt the Opposition’s attack on the politically sensitive issue, the ruling benches have planned to bring the issue for discussion in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
Ruling MLAs are expected to pat the back of the Devendra Fadnavis government for announcing a “historic” loan waiver scheme. The move comes at a time when both the main Opposition parties, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, are pressing for an adjournment motion over the same issue. The BJP had earlier plotted a similar strategy while facing heat over the Maratha morcha agitation. BJP’s Dr Sanjay Kute, who hails from the Vidarbha belt, is expected to lead the ruling side’s charge on Tuesday.
The party wants to send a message that it was not shying away from the discussion on the farm loan waiver issue. If the Opposition walks out during the discussion, it would earn the BJP some political points. With the Chief Minister expected to reply to the ruling side’s proposal, the BJP also has plans to garner some bragging rights over the new interventions the government would announce on the issue.
The Opposition is no mood to budge either. On Monday, it sought to take first mover advantage over the issue. In the Legislative Assembly, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Ajit Pawar demanded a debate on farm loan waiver on the first day itself. Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde demanded permission to move an adjournment motion on the very first day.
