Express News Service
MUMBAI: After a long wait, the Congress has chosen party MLA Vijay Wadettiwar for the post of leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra state assembly. The party submitted a letter to the Speaker asking him to announce Wadettiwar as the LoP on Wednesday.
Congress Legislative Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the party submitted the letter to speaker Rahul Narwekar informing him that Congress is the single largest Opposition party with 45 MLAs and its MLA Vijay Wadettiwar should be appointed as LoP.
The delegation of Congress leaders, comprising former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, Thorat and Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad met the speaker. Thorat said that they got a phone call from the Congress high command on Tuesday suggesting Wadettiwar’s name for LoP.
When asked why Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was missing in the delegation, Thorat said he was told that Patole was in Delhi therefore he could not come to meet the speaker. Vijay Wadettiwar is an OBC leader who hails from Vidarbha, once a stronghold of the Congress. He had served as Relief and Rehabilitation Minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government, headed by Shiv Sena.
Claim on Upper House
The Congress will also put its claim for LoP in the upper House. In the upper house of the state assembly, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s MLC strength was reduced from 10 to 8, while the Congress has nine MLCs. “We very soon put the claim over LoP in the upper house. We will have a discussion with Shiv Sena and our party high command and the name of upper house LoP will be also finalised,” said a senior Congress leader.
MUMBAI: After a long wait, the Congress has chosen party MLA Vijay Wadettiwar for the post of leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra state assembly. The party submitted a letter to the Speaker asking him to announce Wadettiwar as the LoP on Wednesday.
Congress Legislative Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the party submitted the letter to speaker Rahul Narwekar informing him that Congress is the single largest Opposition party with 45 MLAs and its MLA Vijay Wadettiwar should be appointed as LoP.
The delegation of Congress leaders, comprising former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, Thorat and Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad met the speaker. Thorat said that they got a phone call from the Congress high command on Tuesday suggesting Wadettiwar’s name for LoP.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
When asked why Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was missing in the delegation, Thorat said he was told that Patole was in Delhi therefore he could not come to meet the speaker. Vijay Wadettiwar is an OBC leader who hails from Vidarbha, once a stronghold of the Congress. He had served as Relief and Rehabilitation Minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government, headed by Shiv Sena.
Claim on Upper House
The Congress will also put its claim for LoP in the upper House. In the upper house of the state assembly, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s MLC strength was reduced from 10 to 8, while the Congress has nine MLCs. “We very soon put the claim over LoP in the upper house. We will have a discussion with Shiv Sena and our party high command and the name of upper house LoP will be also finalised,” said a senior Congress leader.
