Against the backdrop of the most recent border conflict between the southern state of Karnataka and neighbouring Maharashtra, the winter session of the Karnataka Assembly is slated to begin in “disputed” Belagavi today.
Shiv Sena MP Dhairyasheel Mane has been prohibited by the district government from accessing Belagavi in the meanwhile. A protest organised by the Madhyavarti Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MMES) is scheduled for Monday in Belagavi, and Dhairyasheel Mane, a Lok Sabha representative from Hatkanangle in Maharashtra, has requested permission to participate.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated on Sunday in response to the recent agitation by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) in Belagavi on the border dispute that the group had been engaging in such activities for the previous 50 years.
According to him, “The state government knows how to control the group, and the same is being done to keep the MES in check.”
Political analysts predicted that the 10-day Assembly session, which begins on Monday, would be contentious. Raghunath Rao Malkapure, the chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, stated on Sunday that 14 measures are likely to be introduced in the House. The lawmakers have submitted around 1,452 questions, and the election for the speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will take place on December 21.
The subject of voter data theft is anticipated to come up frequently during the session. Siddaramaiah, a leader in the Congress and a former chief minister, announced on Sunday that the party would bring up various problems, including voter data theft, in the Assembly.
The SC/ST reservation bill, which aims to increase reservations for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories in employment and education, will also be introduced in the House.
The SC/ST Reservation Ordinance Replacement Bill is one of several draught legislation that will be presented in the legislature session at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, according to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday.
Belagavi city has transformed into a police fortress as more than 61 organisations ask the district administration for permission to hold protests during the Assembly session. The Maharashtra-sourced automobiles are being examined carefully.
