After Maharashtra setback, has rift emerged in Maha Vikas Aghadi over Leader of Opposition post

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which suffered a huge setback in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, is facing possible differences over who would get the Leader of Opposition post, sources told India Today TV.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP, which collectively won 46 of 288 seats in last month’s polls, are all eyeing the post of the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, they said.

The MVA has placed its demand to seek the Leader of Opposition post and the Deputy Speaker post, sources said. However, the authority to take such a decision rests with the Speaker. Sources also said that the Congress has not abandoned its claim over the post of Leader of Opposition.

In the November 20 election, the Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray won 20 seats, followed by Congress 16 and NCP (SP) 10. The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP swept the polls, winning a mammoth 230 seats.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said his party was yet to discuss with its MVA allies on the face of the Leader of Opposition.

Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar, another Congress leader, who served as the Leader of Opposition earlier, are considered to be the frontrunners for the Leader of Opposition post. From Shiv Sena (UBT), Bhaskar Jadhav has been elected as the Leader of House and Sunil Prabhu is the Chief whip.

A party with 10 per cent of the 288 seats or 29 seats can claim the Leader of Opposition post. However, all the MVA parties are falling short of the mark, as per the legislative rules.

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