Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 23: The Budget Session of the Maharashtra legislature commencing on Feb 23 will be the first in the state’s history without a Leader of Opposition (LoP) in both the Assembly and the Legislative Council.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) termed the development a “threat to democratic norms”, stating that the absence of LoPs in both Houses weakens institutional checks and balances at a time when the BJP-led Mahayuti enjoys a commanding majority.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut described the denial of the LoP post as a “blot on democracy”, alleging that the constitutional role of the Opposition in holding the government accountable was being undermined.
The vacancy has continued since the 2024 Assembly elections, where no single opposition party crossed the conventional 10 per cent strength required for recognition of the LoP.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav accused the ruling coalition of arrogance and deliberately weakening democratic processes by not facilitating LoP appointments in either House. He said he had written to the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan administration seeking clarity on any rule governing the appointment of the LoP in the Assembly, and was informed there was no specific statutory provision.
Jadhav also pointed out that in the past, parties with single-digit MLAs had been accorded the LoP post, whereas Shiv Sena (UBT), despite having 20 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly, has been denied the position.
When asked about the issue, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the decision was the prerogative of the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairman of the Council.
The situation in the 78-member Legislative Council has been further complicated by the resignation of Congress MLC Pradnya Satav in December last year. Satav, widow of late Congress MP Rajeev Satav, resigned on December 18 before formally joining the BJP in the presence of Fadnavis.
Her switch came a year after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping victory in the 2024 Assembly elections. Prior to her resignation, the Congress had eight members in the Council, meeting the 10 per cent threshold required to claim the LoP post, and had nominated senior leader Satej Patil for the role. However, her exit reduced the party’s strength to seven, weakening its claim.
Former state Congress president Nana Patole alleged that inducements and promises of positions were being used to engineer defections and destabilise Opposition parties, describing Satav’s move as part of a broader “Operation Lotus” strategy.
Satav, who had been renominated to the Council in July 2024 for a six-year term ending in 2030, said she joined the BJP citing the Mahayuti government’s development agenda under Fadnavis.