Sena (UBT) likely to get LoP post in assembly, Congress eyes council

MVA ne LOP posts ke liye consensus banaya; Shiv Sena (UBT) assembly mein aur Congress council mein claim karegi, par ruling alliance rok sakti hai.

MUMBAI: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has all but reached a consensus on which party will claim the posts of leader of the opposition (LOP) in the legislative assembly and council. While the Shiv Sena (UBT), the largest party within the MVA alliance, is set to claim LOP in the assembly, the Congress is likely to stake its claim to the LOP post in the legislative council, currently held by the Sena (UBT).

Sena (UBT) likely to get LoP post in assembly, Congress eyes council

But even if the MVA agrees on this formula, it may not play out as seamlessly as the coalition hopes. Sources say there’s a strong chance the ruling Mahayuti alliance could stonewall the Sena (UBT) by insisting on the ‘10% norm’, a grey area in state assemblies.

On the LOP formula, still being discussed by the MVA, former state Congress president Nana Patole said the Sena (UBT) demanded the LOP post in the lower house as the party has the highest number of MLAs in the MVA, while the Congress has the largest number of MLCs.

In the November 2024 assembly elections, the Sena (UBT) won 20 of the 95 seats contested by the opposition coalition, while the Congress bagged 16 and the NCP (SP) just 10. Together, the opposition alliance won a paltry 50 seats in a house of 288, with the Mahayuti coalition – the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP — bagging 237 of the 286 seats it contested.

But here’s where it could get tricky for the MVA. Former state legislature secretary Anant Kalse told HT that the single largest party in the opposition is entitled to the position of LOP in the assembly. However, the Lok Sabha has been following a British-era parliamentary practice, where the LOP’s position is allotted to a party that has a minimum 10% of the total strength of the house. While this does apply to state assemblies, it could give the ruling Mahayuti something with which to thwart the MVA. Matters that are open to interpretation are usually left to the discretion of the speaker in the assembly and chairperson of the council, respectively.

How do the numbers stack up in Maharashtra? While 10% of the assembly seats would amount to 29 MLAs in a house of 288, the Sena (UBT) has just 20. In the council, however, the Congress has eight MLCs, while Sena (UBT) has seven members of a total strength of 78. It would appear that the Congress has barely made the cut on the numbers front – but it faces a challenge from its alliance partner, the Sena (UBT). With the term of the LOP in the council being six years and currently occupied by Ambadas Danve of the Sena (UBT), the party is reluctant to give up the post, at least not until Danve’s term ends.

“Until now, now there has been no discussion between MVA leaders on an exchange of LOP positions in the legislative council and assembly. If the Congress wants the LOP position in the council, the leaders of the three alliance partners will have to take a decision on this,” said Danve.

Discussions on the two LOP positions are still underway in the MVA and, although a final decision is still awaited, insiders say the outcome is a mere formality. The Sena (UBT) has yet not submitted its claim in writing to the office of the assembly speaker, while the Congress is still to officially stake its claim to the chairperson of the legislative council.