The Shiv Sena UBT is dealing with a new tussle these days, all thanks to a googly thrown by the ruling BJP on suggesting the names for the Leader of Opposition's post in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Legistlative Council. Sources suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party has attempted a political manoeuvre regarding the posts of Leader of the Opposition in the two houses.
According to the information revealed by sources, the BJP has offered the Assembly post to Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar and the Council post to Anil Parab. However, within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, Shiv Sena UBT wants Bhaskar Jadhav to take the Assembly position, while the Congress prefers Satej Patil as Leader of the Opposition in the Council.
This move by the BJP is being viewed as an attempt to create division within the alliance.
Disagreements within Shiv Sena UBT
The Thackeray family is reportedly not in favour of Bhaskar Jadhav as Leader of the Opposition. Some party legislators believe that Anil Parab should hold the post in the Council or that Aaditya Thackeray should take the position in the Assembly.
This decision has reportedly upset Bhaskar Jadhav, who is said to be trying to gather support from fellow legislators to put pressure on Uddhav Thackeray. There is also speculation that he has approached the BJP, although leaders from the Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena have requested the BJP not to induct him.
Aaditya Thackeray and other leaders from the Uddhav faction have accused the ruling side of attempting to engineer a split within their party. Aaditya described the reports circulating yesterday as rumours.
Current status in Maharashtra Assembly and Council
The upper house (Maharashtra Legislative Council) and the lower house (Legislative Assembly) currently do not have any officially recognized Leader of Opposition. This is because none of the opposition parties individually secured the required 10% of the 288 assembly seats (at least 29 MLAs). However, opposition parties argue that there is no absolute constitutional requirement for the 10 per cent threshold in Maharashtra, pointing to historical precedents when LoP posts were given even without meeting that mark
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