The Winter Session of the Maharashtra Assembly, scheduled to begin in Nagpur on Monday, has been preceded by significant travel chaos for legislators from Pune district. A prolonged disruption of IndiGo flights, entering its fifth day on Sunday, left several Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) stranded at Pune airport, scrambling for alternative arrangements to reach the state's second capital on time.
Chartered Flights and Road Journeys as Last Resorts
With commercial flights severely impacted, some lawmakers turned to extraordinary measures. A group of four legislators, including one minister, managed to secure a special chartered flight arranged by senior BJP minister Chandrakant Patil. BJP's Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole confirmed the group reached Nagpur on Sunday afternoon using this arrangement. The contingent included MLAs from Pune district and one from Sangli.
For others, the options were less convenient and more arduous. Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and Pimpri MLA, Anna Bansode, embarked on a road journey from Pimpri-Chinchwad around 4 pm on Sunday and is expected to reach Nagpur only on Monday morning. Similarly, Bhosari constituency MLA Mahesh Landge stated his intention to travel by his personal vehicle, either on Sunday night or on Tuesday, due to the unavailability of both flight and train tickets.
Widespread Disruption and Missed Sessions
The flight cancellations have created a domino effect, overwhelming other modes of transport. BJP MLA from Chinchwad, Shankar Jagtap, revealed his Tuesday flight ticket remained unconfirmed, forcing him to consider a circuitous route via Mumbai. He also highlighted the non-availability of train tickets, a common grievance among many stranded legislators.
This logistical nightmare means several elected representatives are likely to miss the crucial first day of the session. Member of the Legislative Council Uma Khapre's flight was cancelled, compelling her to travel by train on Monday, thereby confirming her absence from the opening day. The personal commitments of MLAs have also been affected, with Jagtap mentioning a family marriage he must attend before his uncertain travel.
Safety Concerns and Logistical Challenges
The crisis has underscored the logistical challenges of travel between Pune and Nagpur, especially under time constraints. A local BJP leader from Pimpri-Chinchwad pointed out the difficulties of night road travel, even on the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway, advising that MLAs would have to take "extra care" on the highway. This situation has brought into sharp focus the reliance on air connectivity for the smooth functioning of legislative duties and the cascading impact of disruptions in a single airline's operations.
The ongoing IndiGo crisis, which has led to hundreds of cancellations nationwide, has thus directly impeded state governance, highlighting the vulnerability of political processes to infrastructure and service failures. As MLAs undertake long road journeys or await confirmations, the winter session begins under a cloud of travel-induced absenteeism.
