Hours after Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar president Sharad Pawar said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies can not demand that a Leader of Opposition must be appointed as they do not have the required numbers, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Bhaskar Jadhav on Saturday claimed there is no provision in the law which talks about the appointment of the LoP in legislature merely on the strength of the party.
"I have given a letter to the legislature secretary seeking details of the provision of law under which the leader of the opposition is appointed. I met the state legislature secretary and he has not found any provision regarding that," Jadhav told reporters.
There is a provision to give the post of LoP to the largest party, he said.
Jadhav said although the speaker can approve the LoP's post, the government has to support it.
"I am confident that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with the deputy CMs will approve the LOP post," Jadhav said.
Usually, according to convention, for the LoP's post, the opposition party has to win 10 per cent seats. But no party has been able to get the required number.
In the November 20 assembly polls, the Shiv Sena-UBT won 20 seats, Congress 16 and NCP-SP 10.
Earlier, at a press conference in Kolhapur, Pawar said MVA parties cannot insist on appointment of LoP as they don't have required numbers.
None of the Opposition parties individually have the minimum 29 MLAs -- 10 per cent of the Assembly's strength -- to be eligible to get the post.
Pawar, however, noted that in the 1980s, when his own party was reduced to just six MLAs following defections, he still became the Leader of the Opposition for a year followed by Mrinal Gore and Nihal Ahmed as the Opposition decided to rotate the post.
Pawar said the Opposition should not lose heart over its rout but go back to the people who do not seem to be enthused by the massive victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti in the Maharashtra elections.
The Opposition's priority would be to ensure that all the election promises made by the ruling alliance including increasing the financial assistance to women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 are implemented at the earliest, he said.
Pawar said a comparison between votes polled and seats won by political parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls was surprising.
"It is true that we have been defeated. We should not fret over it, but go back to the people, as no enthusiasm is visible among the people about the election results. There is a lot of resentment," the senior politician said .
Jadhav, meanwhile, also demanded the deputy speaker's post for the opposition.
He recalled that in 1999, Shiv Sena-BJP made a mistake of breaking convention and fielding a nominee for the speaker's post, which was otherwise an unopposed contest.
In response, then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh declined the deputy speaker's post for not following the convention.
Jadhav said new conventions can be set by giving the deputy speaker's post to the opposition.
© 2025 Rediff.com -