Conflict Between Shiv Sena UBT and Congress Over LoP Role
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Synopsis
The ongoing conflict between Shiv Sena UBT and Congress over the Leader of the Opposition position in Maharashtra reveals deep political divides. With both parties claiming the role based on their legislative strength, the Assembly Speaker's decision remains uncertain as the opposition parties combine for 46 legislators in a 288-member assembly.
Key Takeaways
- Shiv Sena UBT claims the LoP position in the Assembly.
- Congress insists on leading the council due to its majority.
- Legislative rules on party strength are under dispute.
- The ruling MahaYuti claims a minimum of 29 MLAs needed for LoP.
- Combined opposition strength is 46 MLAs in a 288-member assembly.
Mumbai, March 3 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena UBT and Congress are engaged in a dispute regarding their claims to the position of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in both the Maharashtra Assembly and council.
Following the claim made by Shiv Sena UBT, which has 20 legislators, for the LoP position in the legislative assembly, Congress legislator Nana Patole expressed strong objections. He stated that since Sena UBT holds a significant number of seats in the lower house, it is reasonable for them to assume the opposition leadership role there. Conversely, in the council, the Congress holds a majority, suggesting that the LoP position in the upper house should belong to them.
Patole remarked, "In the state assembly, Sena UBT is the largest party within the MVA, so they ought to declare their candidate for the Leader of Opposition. Traditionally, the party with the most MLAs receives this title. Thus, it's clear that in the lower house, they (Sena UBT) should appoint their leader of opposition, while in the council, we possess the majority, making our leader the appropriate choice for LoP—there is nothing more to it."
The contention between Sena UBT and Congress arises amidst uncertainty regarding the Assembly Speaker's decision on whether to grant the LoP position to the opposition parties, as the combined strength of the three opposition parties—Sena UBT, Congress, and NCP SP—totals 46 legislators in the 288-member Legislative Assembly.
The ruling MahaYuti has asserted that a party must possess at least 10 percent of the total assembly strength to qualify for the post. With 288 MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly, this translates to 29 members. Currently, no single opposition party holds 29 MLAs.
The MahaYuti contends that since none of the opposition parties have achieved the requisite 10 percent representation in the assembly, the LoP position cannot be filled. However, MVA leaders argue that the legislative rules do not stipulate such a mandatory 10 percent condition.
“There is no rule (of strength); in many states, even parties with four or five members have obtained the Leader of the Opposition post to uphold democratic principles. Our combined total exceeds 50. Therefore, it should not be challenging for Sena UBT to lead the opposition,” stated Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut, emphasizing that the majority of MLAs in the Assembly belong to Sena UBT and thus the LoP will be from their party.
