Fresh from a stupendous victory in Sankarankoil by-poll, the ruling AIADMK is preparing to take on a combined Opposition, which predictably is expected to pick on much-beaten issues like power cuts and Koodankulam, in the budget session opening here on Monday.
Finance minister O. Panneerselvam will present the second budget of the AIADMK, marking the start of the month-long session of the Assembly, where ministers will take up the demand for grants for their respective departments. The budget announcements are expected to be in line with the Tamil Nadu Vision 2023 unveiled by chief minister J. Jayalalithaa recently.
In the run-up to the budget, Ms Jayalalithaa had reviewed the works of all the departments and the progress of various welfare schemes implemented by it.
The budget session starts exactly a week after the Jayalalithaa-led cabinet gave the go ahead to the controversial Koodankulam nuclear power plant even as the state faces acute power shortage. The Opposition is likely to take up the power cut issue, even as the Cauvery standoff with Karnataka gains fresh steam.
AIADMK will have to face a combined Opposition with former ally DMDK having parted ways following a spat between chief minister Jayalalithaa and DMDK founder Vijayakant in the Assembly during the last session. The Opposition leader has been suspended, but he has challenged the decision in the court. However, Mr Vijayakanth will not be able to attend the first seven days of the session.
Sources in DMK said that the power situation has worsened in the state after the AIADMK government came to power. “The Koodankulam nuclear power plant should have been commissioned by this time but the government went soft on the anti-nuke agitators,” sources said. Besides the power crisis, law and order has worsened in the state and murders have increased, a DMK legislator said.
After the budget presentation, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) would meet to decide on the duration of the session.