Will Congress Secure the Leader of Opposition Post in Maharashtra Legislative Council?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The Congress party is claiming the Leader of Opposition position in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
- Key meetings are being held with alliance leaders to discuss political strategies.
- Satej Patil is a strong candidate for the LoP role.
- The Assembly also has a vacant LoP position that needs to be addressed.
- Political alliances are crucial for the upcoming local body elections.
Mumbai, Sep 8 (NationPress) On Monday, the Congress party asserted its claim for the role of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
A team consisting of Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, former Minister Balasaheb Thorat, and Deputy Leader of the Legislature Party Amin Patel met with Shiv Sena-UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray to deliberate on various matters, including the forthcoming local body elections and the vacant LoP positions in both the Legislative Assembly and Council, along with potential political strategies.
"While it is accurate that the Congress now holds a greater number of legislators in the Council, it is crucial to address the Leader of Opposition matter within the alliance first. Hence, we convened a meeting with Uddhav-ji," stated Wadettiwar.
The Congress team is also scheduled to meet with Sharad Pawar, the leader of their ally, the NCP-SP.
Following the discussion with Thackeray, Congress leaders approached Legislative Council Chairperson Ram Shinde to talk about appointing a new LoP.
Sources indicate that the Congress may advocate for senior legislator Satej Patil to be nominated.
The position has remained unfilled since former LoP and Shiv Sena-UBT leader Ambadas Danve completed his term last month.
"This situation extends beyond the Council's role; there is also a vacancy for the LoP position in the Legislative Assembly. We plan to engage with Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as well," Wadettiwar added.
Within the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Shiv Sena-UBT has proposed former Minister Bhaskar Jadhav for the Assembly LoP post, which the Assembly Speaker has yet to confirm.
"Previously discussed solutions included an exchange of positions, allowing Shiv Sena-UBT to take the Rajya Sabha LoP post while the Congress would assume the Assembly LoP role, but this initiative did not progress," shared a Congress leader.
Sources suggest that veteran Congress leader and former Maharashtra Minister Satej Patil is a strong contender for the State Legislative Council's LoP position.