File picture of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has formally recommended party leader Bhaskar Jadhav for the position of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Legislative Assembly. The recommendation was conveyed via a letter addressed to Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Monday.
The decision to nominate Mr. Jadhav was reached during a meeting of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs held on February 28 at Mumbai’s Matoshree bungalow, chaired by Mr. Thackeray. In the letter, Mr. Thackeray stated: “It was unanimously decided in the meeting that all rights regarding the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly are vested with the party chief. Accordingly, I recommend the name of Mr. Jadhav for the post.”
Shiv Sena (UBT), the largest party within the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, is eligible to claim the LoP position following recent political developments. However, the move has sparked discussions among MVA allies, with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) [NCP (SP)] proposing that the post be rotated among the three coalition partners — Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP) — for 18 months each.
NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad argued that rotating the LoP position would ensure equal representation for all three parties in the Assembly.
He added that senior leaders from the three parties would convene to finalise the decision, while emphasising that Shiv Sena (UBT), with its 20 MLAs, should be given the first opportunity to hold the post.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde questioned the Opposition’s ability to claim the LoP position, citing a lack of sufficient numbers. “Despite not having the required numbers, there is a race to become the LoP, but there is no unanimity among the Opposition. The decision ultimately lies with the Assembly Speaker,” Mr. Shinde said.
As per convention, an Opposition party needs to hold at least 10% of the total Assembly seats (28 out of 288) to stake a claim to the LoP post. Shiv Sena (UBT) currently has 20 MLAs, followed by Congress with 16 and NCP (SP) with 10. However, Mr. Jadhav, the recommended candidate for LoP, pointed out that there is no legal provision or constitutional mandate specifying the 10% requirement.
The Maharashtra Assembly’s budget session commenced on Monday, with the LoP issue expected to remain a focal point of discussion in the coming days.
Published – March 05, 2025 03:50 am IST
