The Shiv Sena (UBT) has claimed the Leader of Opposition (LoP) position in the Maharashtra assembly, nominating senior MLA Bhaskar Jadhav for the role. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray announced that a letter was submitted to assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, urging a decision before the budget session based on democratic values. Jadhav, a long-time Shiv Sena member, emphasized that there is no constitutional requirement for 10% of seats to claim the LoP post, countering earlier claims for a rotational arrangement by the NCP SP. The Shiv Sena (UBT) holds 20 MLAs, while Congress and NCP (SP) have 16 and 10, respectively.
Mumbai:
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has made a claim for the Leader of Opposition (LoP) position in the Maharashtra assembly, nominating senior MLA Bhaskar Jadhav for this cabinet-level role, as announced by party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday.
A letter confirming this claim was handed over to assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.
“The Shiv Sena (UBT) has asserted its claim to the LoP post. We have provided a letter to the speaker regarding this. We are hopeful that a decision will be reached in line with democratic principles,” stated Mr. Jadhav.
He emphasized that the decision should be made prior to the budget session.
Mr. Jadhav, a senior MLA from Guhagar, has a history with the Shiv Sena dating back to the 1990s. After a period with the NCP, he rejoined Shiv Sena in 2019.
Uddhav Thackeray also refuted claims regarding the absence of a rotation system for the LoP’s position.
On Monday, the NCP SP requested that the LoP position should adhere to a rotational arrangement.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) holds 20 MLAs in the lower house, with the Congress having 16 and NCP (SP) 10. Until now, none of these parties has officially laid claim to the position.
According to precedents, an opposition party must possess 10 percent of the total seats (a total of 28) to claim the LoP position.
“However, there is no law (requiring 10 percent of the total seats) or constitutional provision,” asserted Bhaskar Jadhav on Monday.
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