As Uddhav seeks appointment of Oppn leader, MVA backs him, says Fadnavis govt thwarting democracy

Supporting his demand, Atul Londhe, chief spokesperson of Maharashtra Congress, said, “The Opposition has been raising the demand for a year. Uddhav ji has once again voiced the Opposition demand for appointing a Leader of Opposition in both the houses of the state legislature. They have a chief minister in place, there is a speaker in the Assembly but there is no Opposition leader. How the state legislature can be complete without the Opposition leader. In both the houses, the situation is similar.”

Londhe said in August, Shiv Sena leader Ambadas Danve retired from Legislative Council. ”After that, the Opposition had given two names for appointment in both the houses. One was of Satej Patil in the Legislative Council and another was of Bhaskar Jadhav in the state Assembly. Yet, no decision has been taken for a year now,” he said.

Londhe said as per the convention, if a Leader of Opposition is to be appointed in the state Assembly, the Opposition needs to hold at least 10 per cent of total Assembly seats. “The Opposition has 46 members as against the requirement of 28 members (228 is the total Assembly strength for staking claim for the post). Besides, we have a pre-poll alliance. When we have the numbers on our side and which is as per the norms, why is the government fighting shy of appointing the LoP,” he said.

The Congress said, “Everything is not written in the Constitution. There are traditions and customs. Sometimes we need to follow tradition. Without an Opposition leader, does the state legislature has any meaning? The government is playing its game, the speaker is silent and the Opposition voice is being muzzled. They are doing everything to thwart the democracy.”

Echoing the views, AAP spokesperson Mukund Kirdat said, “Whatever the Fadnavis government is doing is following the Modi government in letter and spirit. Modi government’s logic is not respecting the Opposition leader. Fadnavis is his disciple and therefore he is following the teachings of his guru by not showing respect to the post of Leader of Opposition.”

Kirdat said, ”Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar while drafting the Constitution has clearly said that democracy means an Opposition which consistently asks questions of the government. The Opposition leader is the voice of the people. He keeps the government on toes and fights for seeking justice for the poor. The dictatorship of BJP and Modi government is once again clearly on display.”

Kirdat said the government’s behaviour is harmful to India’s democracy and the people of this country. ”If you implement anti-democratic policies, they are going to harm both the nation and the people. And the government seems to be doing everything to harm our democracy and the people, whose grievances the Opposition leader is expected to raise,” he said.

Constitutional expert Ulhas Bapat said: “There is no rule regarding appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the Constitution. But in a Parliamentary democracy, it is imperative that there should be a ruling party and an Opposition party. It is mandatory to appoint an Opposition leader. Why aren’t they not naming the Opposition leader? I can’t speak about it. It seems to be part of their politics,” he said.

Bapat said the Constitution is silent about this aspect. “We call it Doctrine of Silences. Where it is not written, then we have to assume it…we have to follow the conventions and norms. As per conventions, we should have the Opposition leader. In England, this is followed,” he said.

Bapat said Deputy Speaker has not been appointed in Lok Sabha for the past seven years. ”In the Constitution, it is written that Deputy Speaker should be appointed as soon as possible. In the past seven years of the two terms of the Modi government, no Deputy Speaker has been appointed. The violation of the Constitution has continued…,” he said.