The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena staked its claim to the Leader Of Opposition post in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the budget session of which began on Monday.

“We have the right to the post of the Leader of Opposition. The post of opposition leader in the Maharashtra assembly has a great tradition. Opposition parties in the state have done a great job. The democratic legislature party will not find direction without an opposition leader in the assembly. The arbitrariness of the ministers will continue and the corrupt will go free,” Thackeray-led Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said.

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When Raut was asked how the Thackeray-led Sena could get the Leader of Opposition post since it does not have enough numbers, Raut said, “There is no such rule (of numbers), in many states. Even parties with four or five members of legislative assembly (MLAs) have got the post of Leader of the Opposition to maintain the sanctity of democracy. Here, the Mahayuti has more than 50 MLAs together. Therefore, there is no problem for a Leader of the Opposition to emerge from the Shiv Sena”.

Significantly, a reply to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s letter dated November 25, 2024, inquiring if there is any rule that the post of Leader of Opposition is not given unless the opposition has 10% of seats in the legislative assembly has stated that there is no such provision in the rules of the Maharashtra legislative assembly.

This reply has cleared the way for the Thcakeray-led Shiv Sena to stake its claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly.

Responding to a question about who in the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is a potential candidate for the post of Leader of Opposition, Sanjay Raut said, “A decision will be taken by the legislature party in this regard. Even if I know the potential candidate, I will not say”. Yet, informally, there is talk within Thackeray-led Sena circles that senior MLA Bhaskar Jadhav is one of the strongest contenders for the post.

However, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is yet to finalise any name for the Leader of Opposition’s post in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, bet after the Thackeray-led Sena has staked claimed to the post, the the Congress is likely to finalise its stand on March 5, after its national level leaders of the All India Congress Committee reach Mumbai.

“We have already informed the matter to our central leadership and they will finalise the party strategy,” the newly appointed Deputy Group Leader of the Congress, Amin Patel said.