Mumbai: Gearing up to take on the BJP-led State government in the Legislative Assembly’s budget session, Opposition party Congress said it will target Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by focusing on urban issues. The other main Opposition party, the NCP, has embarked on a series of Halla Bol rallies across the State to highlight farmers’ problems.
Strategy for the budget session beginning on February 26 was discussed at a meeting on Tuesday, attended by leaders from both parties. At the top of the Opposition’s agenda are the agrarian crisis, hailstorm damage in Marathwada, and the loan waiver scheme that is yet to be implemented. City issues too will be brought up, Congress leaders said.
Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, said, “The government has failed in every sector: it produces fictitious investment figures daily, and there is a slowdown in employment generation. In the name of infrastructure development, the government is fooling the urban population.”
Claiming that a large part of the urban population is getting steadily disillusioned with the government’s ‘hollow’ promises, Sanjay Dutt, the Congress’ chief whip in the Legislative Council, said, “While the agrarian crisis is a genuine problem, we’ll also be focusing on urban discontent in this session.”
Sources said five main issues will be brought up — two related to urban problems and three on rural ones. Mr. Dutt said strategy will be finalised at a joint meeting on February 25.
