Sena won't boycott winter session
The Shiv Sena has made an about-turn on its threat to boycott the entire winter session of the state legislature beginning November 19 in Nagpur.
By TNN |
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena has made an about-turn on its threat to boycott the entire winter session of the state legislature beginning November 19 in Nagpur.
It has now decided to take part in the legislative proceedings after governor SM Krishna refused to entertain its plea to postpone the session to December 3. Leader of the Opposition, Ramdas Kadam conveyed his party’s latest stand to Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, a Sena dezlegation had called on the governor with a plea to direct the state government to hold the session according to its earlier schedule. The Sena had taken this position after the state government decided to advance the session from December 3 to November 19 due to Gujarat elections, which would require participation of some Congress and BJP leaders.
The Sena held out the threat that it would boycott the entire session — something unheard of in the legislative history of Maharashtra — if the original schedule was not stuck to. Sources in the Congress-NCP government, however, told ET that there was no question of entertaining the Sena plea.
“The Sena claimed that it’s unconstitutional on the government’s part to have recommended advancing the session. We are not aware of the Sena’s understanding of the Constitution and legislative procedures. But the government is will within its rights to reschedule the session by following legislative provisions,” a Cabinet minister told ET.
The minister added that the Sena had got all its calculations wrong by assuming that its threat to boycott the session would pay off.
“The government made it amply clear to Sena leaders that the session would be held as decided, with or without them. They seem to have got the message,” the minister said. Sources said what further forced the Sena to step back was its saffron partner BJP’s supportive stand for the advanced session.
“The BJP was always in favour of advancing the session since many of our leaders would have to camp in Gujarat,” said a BJP functionary. State BJP president Nitin Gadkari also indirectly urged the Sena to take part in the proceedings and raise public issues to expose the government.
Though it has backed out on the boycott threat, the Sena has reiterated its opposition to the proposed repeal of Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act. It has fallen back on its original son-of-the-soil plank, claiming that a repeal of ULCRA would pass on the land booty to builders and an average Marathi-speaking Mumbaikar would be driven out of the city due to lack of affordable housing.
It has now decided to take part in the legislative proceedings after governor SM Krishna refused to entertain its plea to postpone the session to December 3. Leader of the Opposition, Ramdas Kadam conveyed his party’s latest stand to Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, a Sena dezlegation had called on the governor with a plea to direct the state government to hold the session according to its earlier schedule. The Sena had taken this position after the state government decided to advance the session from December 3 to November 19 due to Gujarat elections, which would require participation of some Congress and BJP leaders.
The Sena held out the threat that it would boycott the entire session — something unheard of in the legislative history of Maharashtra — if the original schedule was not stuck to. Sources in the Congress-NCP government, however, told ET that there was no question of entertaining the Sena plea.
“The Sena claimed that it’s unconstitutional on the government’s part to have recommended advancing the session. We are not aware of the Sena’s understanding of the Constitution and legislative procedures. But the government is will within its rights to reschedule the session by following legislative provisions,” a Cabinet minister told ET.
The minister added that the Sena had got all its calculations wrong by assuming that its threat to boycott the session would pay off.
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“The government made it amply clear to Sena leaders that the session would be held as decided, with or without them. They seem to have got the message,” the minister said. Sources said what further forced the Sena to step back was its saffron partner BJP’s supportive stand for the advanced session.
“The BJP was always in favour of advancing the session since many of our leaders would have to camp in Gujarat,” said a BJP functionary. State BJP president Nitin Gadkari also indirectly urged the Sena to take part in the proceedings and raise public issues to expose the government.
Though it has backed out on the boycott threat, the Sena has reiterated its opposition to the proposed repeal of Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act. It has fallen back on its original son-of-the-soil plank, claiming that a repeal of ULCRA would pass on the land booty to builders and an average Marathi-speaking Mumbaikar would be driven out of the city due to lack of affordable housing.
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