By krishika Dinesh Rathod
Though Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) supporters have yet to formally claim the role of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra assembly, a key constituent urged on Monday that the cabinet-level job be cycled among the three parties in the bloc.
Jitendra Awhad, MLA of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), has proposed that the LoP job be rotated for 18 months among his party, the Congress, and the Shiv Sena (UBT), all of whom are MVA constituents.
Awhad stated that the three parties holding the posts in turn will assist each constituent in representing itself in the state assembly, which began its budget session on Monday in Mumbai.
We propose that the LoP post be rotated among three parties for 18 months each, so that each party has an opportunity to represent in the state assembly. We need to stay united as a formidable resistance. “This is the NCP’s (SP) position,” the former state minister told PTI.
The Thane city MLA, on the other hand, insisted that the Shiv Sena (UBT), which has the most seats (20) among the opposition parties in the 288-member assembly, be given the first opportunity to fill the slot.
Sanjay Raut, the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT), announced last week that his party will seek the position of LoP in the legislature.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has 20 MLAs in the lower house, followed by the Congress (16) and the NCP (SP) 10. So far, none of them has formally claimed the position.
According to previous precedents, an opposition party must win 10% of the total seats (28 in this case) to claim the LoP office.
“However, there is no such law (requiring 10% of total seats) or provision in the Constitution,” claimed Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav. “But there is no such law or provision stated in the Constitution,” according to the Shiv Sena.