LoP in Maharashtra Assembly: MVA allies short of numbers, Speaker’s role will be crucial

As per rules, a party should have at least 10 per cent of the total strength in the Assembly to qualify for the post. The Maharashtra Assembly has 288 MLAs — 10 per cent of the total strength works to 28.8 (29). None of the Opposition parties have 29 MLAs at present.

In the 2024 Assembly polls, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) was routed. The Congress won just 16 seats, NCP (SP) 10 and Shiv Sena (UBT) 20 seats, which means that non of the three parties have the numbers to stake claim for the LoP post. Though the MVA’s combined strength adds to 46 MLAs, individual party strength and not the alliance’s numbers is considered for the LoP post.

On Saturday, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “We are not asserting our rights over the LoP post. We are expressing our wish to have a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader as LoP.”

The party has left it to Uddhav to take a final decision. Among the names at the forefront for the post is Aaditya Thackeray. “Party MLAs have expressed the wish to make Aaditya Thackeray the LoP. It is also part of grooming the second generation leadership within the Sena (UBT),” a source said. “Everything is just in discussion stages as we will have to take the consent of other parties also. And most importantly, the Speaker’s decision whether he considers the MVA candidate for LoP post despite low numbers remains to be seen,” the source added.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, who is also from Sena UBT, said party MLAs have unanimously supported the move. Party MLAs have unanimously elected Aaditya as the Sena (UBT) legislature party leader. Whereas, senior legislator Bhaskar Jadhav was made the group leader in the Legislative Assembly. Sunil Prabhu was retained as Sena (UBT) Chief Whip.

The Congress and NCP (SP) are non commital on LoP.

The AICC approved the appointment of four-time MLA Amin Patel as the Congress party’s Deputy Leader in the Legislative Assembly, while former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s son Amit Deshmukh would be the Chief Whip, Vishwajeet Kadam has been made the secretary and Shirishkumar Naik and Sanjay Meshram would be Whips.

In the Council, the Congress nominated Satej alias Bunty Patil as the Group Leader, Abhijit Vanjari would be Chief Whip and Rajesh Rathod would be the Whip. The appointment comes shortly after the AICC announced its new state president Harshawardhan Sapkal recently. He replaced Nana Patole. It has made Vijay Wadettiwar as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party. Earlier, Waddetiwar was the LoP between 2023-24.

In NCP (SP) Jitendra Awhad was appointed Group Leader in November.