The Nationalist Congress Party appointed Jitendra Awhad as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after incumbent LoP Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy chief minister on Sunday.
The development comes amid a close aide of Pawar saying 36 out of 53 NCP MLAs have extended support to the new deputy CM and the numbers could go to 46 in a few days time.
Awhad, MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in neighbouring Thane district, said NCP state unit president Jayant Patil had appointed him chief whip of the party and LoP in the assembly.
"All the MLAs will have to abide my whip," he asserted in an apparent reference to defection and disqualification angles that are bound to come up in connection with Sunday's developments brought about by a vertical split in the NCP.
Awhad said the number of NCP MLAs with Ajit Pawar will be clear once party supremo Sharad Pawar starts 'calling up' legislators.
He also said the families of several MLAs have called party leaders to voice their opposition to the developments of the day.
"Wait till Sharad Pawar gets active fully, once he starts dialling numbers of his MLAs," Awhad said.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Mumra-Kalwa MLA from neighbouring Thane district said the former had routinely criticised Ajit Pawar's role in the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation but was joining hands with him now.
"Shinde revolted by complaining Ajit Pawar as finance minister did not give Sena MLAs enough funds (under MVA rule). Now, Shinde is shaking hands with Ajit Pawar. People know what exactly is happening here," Awhad said.
Queried on Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation probes against some NCP leaders and its role in them switching sides, Awhad said, "I don't see any other reason behind these leaders deciding to join the state government. There was no need to do such a thing. Those leaders could have sat aside."
"These leaders should not forget the party made them ministers in the past 25 years. Now, they are deserting their leader (83-year-old Sharad Pawar) in his twilight years," Awhad said.
Lok Sabha MPs Sunil Tatkare and Amol Kolhe and Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel attended Sunday's swearing-in ceremony.
