As the state government seeks legislative approval for several measures, including additional expenditure and some bills on Monday and Tuesday, the mandarins will have a new surge of COVID-19 cases and a bad economy in Maharashtra on their minds. Under pressure not only from other parties but also from some leaders within the three-party formation, the government is expected to rethink easing the restrictions, because some of the state's expert partners have cautioned it against rushing into things that will cause a further spike in the cases.

We don't know yet what the legislature will discuss over the two days as far as the pandemic is concerned. And if they debate it at all, it shouldn't be a repeat of what the government and the opposition have been saying. Rather than help us mitigate the crisis, the political debates may just shift the focus from the real issue at hand that, if addressed together and thoughtfully, can save us from the worst of the calamity. It is actually a dual challenge of saving the lives and ensuring the economic survival of Maharashtra, which has been providing the country's growth engine with the most powerful cylinders to fire fiercely on, as and when required. Maharashtra needs a hard paddle-push from the Narendra Modi government which regulates the engine.