Amid changed power dimension, turbulent politics; Maharashtra Assembly session set to begin tomorrow

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 16 : Soon after the political dynamics of the state changed with the second rebellion in a span of just one year both in Shiv Sena and in NCP by giving a huge dent to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra legislature will begin from Monday which is expected to be a stormy affair.
The Monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly is set to begin tomorrow at the Vidhan Bhavan Complex in Nariman Point in Mumbai.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that government will not misuse its current position in the State Assembly even though the numbers of the alliance have increased in the House.
His statement comes as the  strength of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi reduced in the Assembly following rebellion by Ajit Pawar along with 8 MLAs who joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government. 
On the eve of State Assembly session, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alongside CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar held a joint press conference and said that government will not misuse its current position in the State Assembly even though the numbers of the alliance have increased in the House. 
Devendra Fadnavis said that the Eknath Shinde government will address all issues related to the welfare of the people which will be raised by the opposition. 
"Maharashtra legislature Monsoon session starts from tomorrow. We will discuss all the issues during the session. Even though our strength has increased we will make sure that we do not misuse it and address all the issues related to the welfare of the people that will be raised by the opposition," he said. 
In the joint conference, Chief Minister Shinde said that opposition should raise the questions against the state government for the welfare of people but also praise when government does something right. 
"As always Opposition boycott Tea program of monsoon session. We will discuss all the issues during the session. More than 210 MLAs are with us (current government). Opposition must question us if we are doing wrong, questions must be raised for the welfare of the people. It is the duty of the opposition to praise the government when the government does something right," CM Shinde said. 
Earlier today a tea party was organized at the Sahyadri State Guest House in Mumbai on the eve of the Monsoon Session of the state legislature on Sunday. 
The tea party was attended by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar alongside senior party members. 
Earlier today, the MLAs of the NCP Ajit Pawar faction reached the YB Chavan Centre to meet NCP President Sharad Pawar.
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and Praful Patel along with their MLAs reach YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai to meet NCP President Sharad Pawar. 
Chhagan Bhujbal, Aditi Tatkare, and Hasan Mashrif were among those who arrived at the center.
Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar faction leader said Ajit Pawar led faction paid visit to Sharad Pawar to seek blessings of the latter. 
"We all came here to seek the blessings of respected Sharad Pawar today. We requested Pawar sahib that NCP should stay united. On this, Sharad Pawar did not give any reaction," he said. 
 Reacting to the meeting between the two NCP factions, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said," For years Sharad Pawar was their leader, so they must have gone to meet him, no big deal in it."
Meanwhile NCP Spokesperson Clyde Crasto regarding the meeting said that Ajit Pawar led faction is realizing that they have done something wrong and public is not liking the their move of joining the Eknath Shinde led Government.  
"We are unaware of what was discussed in the meeting. Sharad Pawar always meets with everyone. They (Ajit Pawar faction ministers) are now feeling that what they did was wrong and the public is not liking it, so they are somewhere trying to show that they are still with Sharad Pawar. Nothing can happen now. Whatever they did was wrong," Clyde Crasto said. 
Earlier today Maharashtra NCP President Jayant Patil said that the party is working under the leadership of Sharad Pawar and will sit with Shiv Sena and Congress in the Vidhan Sabha for the upcoming monsoon session. 
"We are not in the govt. Some people have gone to the other side and they have supported the govt, but we have not supported the govt. There has been a division in our party. These are facts. All of us working under the leadership of Sharad Pawar will sit with Shiv Sena and Congress in the Vidhan Sabha," he said. 
"If all these ministers (who joined the Maharashtra govt) return to our party, then I will be very happy about this as the president of Maharashtra NCP," he added. 
Earlier today Uddhav faction leader Sunil Raut said that 'Thackeray brand' and 'Sharad Pawar brand' are the only two brands in Maharashtra 
"People are confused as to who is the CM- Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis or Ajit Pawar... There are only two brands in Maharashtra, one is the Thackeray brand and the other is the Sharad Pawar brand," he said. 
Meanwhile a joint meeting of the opposition leaders was held in Mumbai to discuss the issues to be raised in the Monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Congress leaders Ashok Chavan, Nana Patole and Prithviraj Chavan, Jitendra Awhad and Eknath Khadse from NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Aaditya Thackeray, Ajay Chowdhary and Ambadas Danve from Shiv Sena (UBT) were present in the meeting.
Maharashtra government expanded its cabinet after two weeks of intense deliberations soon after the inclusion of nine MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), new Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been entrusted with finance and planning ministries.Additionally, the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, has lost three portfolios, including agriculture, relief and rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, the BJP has lost its finance department, which was with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadvanis.The NCP has gained control of key portfolios such as finance, planning, cooperation, relief and rehabilitation, agriculture, medical education, sports, food, and civil supplies and women and child welfare. Most of these portfolios were with BJP.The development comes two weeks after Ajit Pawar and eight NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.
Chhagan Bhujbal has been allotted the food and civil supplies ministry.Cabinet Minister Anil Patil gets Relief and Rehabilitation, Disaster Management Department, Aditi Sunil Tatkare has been assigned the Women and Child Development.
While Dhananjay Munde gets Agriculture and Dilip Walse Patil gets Co-operative Department.Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil gets Revenue, Animal Husbandry.
Maharashtra Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant said “The committee will coordinate among the three parties. There will be 12 leaders from all three parties in this coordination committee. Four leaders from each party have been named for the committee.
"He further said that the members from the BJP include, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Ashish Shelar, Prasad Lad and Chandrashekhar Bawankule while from Shiv Sena, Uday Samant, Shambhuraj Desai, Dada Bhuse and Rahul Shewale will be part of the team.
"From NCP, Dhananjay Munde, Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Sunil Tatkare will be there,” he added.Earlier on July 2, Ajit Pawar split the NCP down the middle as he joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra along with 8 senior MLAs and took oath as the state's deputy chief minister for the fifth time.