The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday staked its claim for the post of Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, a post vacated by expelled Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane, after its ally, the Sena, failed to muster the number of MLAs to retain the post. The BJP has named former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde as its candidate for the post.

• Rane gives up leader of opposition post

A delegation of BJP leaders, including party general secretary Pramod Mahajan and MLA Munde, met Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar at Vidhan Bhawan on Friday and handed him a letter containing signatures of all 54 party legislators.

Mahajan said he had a meeting with Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray who gave his consent this evening for the BJP's claim to the post of Opposition leader.

Mahajan said the Sena 'had managed to obtain the signatures of only 52 of its MLAs.' The Sena has 63 MLAs in the House.

He also said Sena chief Bal Thackeray had given his 'blessings' for the BJP's claim to the post.

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"We do not consider our claiming the post as a victory for the BJP but are accepting the responsibility as per the situation. Tomorrow, if the Sena manages to muster signatures of 55 or more of its MLAs, the post will be theirs," he said.