Mumbai: Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, the government has been holding marathon cabinet meetings. On Monday morning (September 30) too a cabinet meeting is scheduled and major decisions and announcements are expected as the model code of conduct for the assembly polls will come into effect anytime soon. The term of the current government ends on November 26 and polls will be held before that.
Last week, the government made 24 decisions in the cabinet meeting that were not on the agenda and were introduced at the last minute. Notably, this could be the last meeting before the election commission announces the polling schedule and model code of conduct is implemented, after which no government decions can be taken.
In the last cabinet meeting, the Mahayuti government took a significant decions ahead of polls to include three caste groups - Tilori Kunbi, Tillori Kunbi and Ti Kunbi in the other backward class (OBC) category. Approving a long pending demand of the milk producers, the cabinet decided to offer Rs 7 per litre, instead of Rs 5 as a grant for cow milk. The Rs 965.24 crore earmarked for the purpose will make scores of milk producers happy ahead of the elections as they will get Rs 35 per litre as the procurement price.
Code Of Conduct From Next Week?
The state ministers have been hinting that the code of conduct will come into effect in first or second week of October. PM Modi is expected to be in Mumbai to inaugurate government's ambitious underground Metro 3 project. While, Home Minister Amit Shah will be in Mumbai on tomorrow (Tuesday, October 1) to hold final talks on Mahayuti seat-sharing and poll preparations on the booth level.
It is said that after PM Modi's and Amit Shah's visit the assembly poll schedule will be announced. Meanwhile, on Saturdy during the press conference in Mumbai, Election Commissioner India indicated that the elections are expected to occur after Diwali and acknowledged that political parties had requested the Election Commission to consider major festivals, like Diwali, when scheduling.
