Maharashtra Assembly Winter Session moves to Nagpur, preparations underway for December 8–14

Mumbai:

The government will stay in Nagpur for only seven days this time, as the winter session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled from December 8 (Monday) to December 14 (Sunday) in Nagpur. Despite weekends, business will proceed in both houses this year. Administration is hard at work finalising arrangements, including the Legislative Assembly building, the Chief Minister’s (CM) residence, the Deputy Chief Ministers’ residences, ministers’ residences, and the residences of elected representatives.

Session location and schedule

Maharashtra’s Legislative Assembly winter session will be held in Nagpur from December 8 to 14. Although December 13 and 14 fall on a weekend, both houses will conduct proceedings. This decision is reportedly linked to the anticipated early declaration of elections for municipal corporations (Nagar Palika) and district councils (Zilla Parishad). The matter received formal approval during a meeting of the Legislature’s Business Advisory Committee. Initially, the session was planned from December 8 to December 19, but once the Nagar Palika and Nagar Panchayat elections conclude, and elections for the urban and district bodies are completed by January, the authorities intend to announce them, as per a Supreme Court directive.

Preparations underway

As soon as the session dates were announced, preparations for the winter session intensified. Security for the Maharashtra Legislature has been taken in hand by security personnel arriving from Mumbai. Ceremonial arrangements at the Chief Minister’s residence and the residences of both Deputy Chief Ministers are being hurriedly organized. The security and logistics for the ministers’ residences at Ravi Bhavan, and for the state ministers’ residences at Nag Bhavan, are being finalised. Likewise, arrangements for Members of the Legislative Assembly at the MLA residence are being completed.

Historical context on session length

Information available indicates that since the formation of the state in 1960 and the Nagpur Pact, the Vidarbha region has sought dedicated discussions on regional issues and development. The winter session was traditionally intended to run for a minimum of six weeks. Historical records show varied lengths: 27 sessions in one year, 28 in another (1968), 17 in 1975, and later years when the duration shortened. The sessions in 1984, 1992, and 2019 also lasted six weeks, while the 2021 session occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.