NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena(UBT) on Tuesday proposed its MLA Bhaskar Jadhav for the post of opposition leader in the Maharashtra legislative assembly.
This comes days after the party staked claim to the post and said that opposition parties had been granted this position in the past, even without meeting the 10% seat threshold.
The combined opposition strength in the 288-member assembly stands in nearly 50, he mentioned. The Maharashtra legislature’s budget session is set to run from March 3 to 26.
“Shiv Sena (UBT) will stake claim to the post of LoP in the Vidhan Sabha. Even if the strength of MLAs is less, there is no law or provision in the Constitution which says that the House should function without the LoP,” Raut said.
A party with 10 percent of the 288 seats or 29 seats can claim the post. However, all of the MVA parties are at the moment falling short of the mark, as per the legislative rules.
Sena (UBT) currently holds 20 assembly seats, with Congress at 16 and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP at 10.
Congress leaders have previously indicated that if Sena (UBT) claims the LoP post in the assembly, they may demand the same position in the legislative council.
Currently, Ambadas Danve of Sena (UBT) holds the leader of opposition post in the council, but his tenure as an MLC ends in August 2024.