Cracks within MVA: Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress spar over Leader of Opposition after crushing Maharashtra poll defeat

Not all is well within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc in Maharashtra. Two of its key allies -- Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) -- are sparring over the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. 

Not only this, the opposition is also seeking the Deputy speaker post in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Any final decision on the matter will be taken by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

Despite this, the grand old Congress party is not leaving its claim over the Leader of Opposition post. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and Brahmapuri MLA Vijay Wadettiwar are the front runners for the post from the grand old party, India Today reported citing sources. 

From Shiv Sena (UBT), Bhaskar Jadhav is elected as the leader of the house whereas Sunil Prabhu is the chief whip. Meanwhile, Patole said that the Congress is yet to discuss with the MVA allies and decide on the face of the Opposition leader.

He added that there have been times when the Congress won 220 seats but gave the LoP post and now the ball is in the government's court to accept or deny the MVA's demand. But why is the MVA finding it so difficult to zero in on a Leader of Opposition? 

The roots for the fracas over LoP post in Maharashtra assembly lie in the Maharashtra assembly election results. None of the MVA allies can claim the LoP as a party with 10 per cent of 288 seats (29 seats) can claim the post.

In the recently held assembly elections, the Mahayuti won a landslide majority with 230 of the total 288 seats in its kitty.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), on the other hand, suffered a crushing defeat as it could secure only 46 seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, the Congress 16, and the NCP (SP) 10 seats. 

The defeat was especially humiliating for the Congress party since its stalwarts -- former CM Prithviraj Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat -- lost from their respective strongholds. 

While Chavan lost from the Karad South Assembly to BJP's Dr Atulbaba Suresh Bhosale, Thorat lost his stronghold of Sangamner to Shiv Sena's Amol Khatal.

Congress' Yashomati Chandrakant Thakur lost to the BJP's Rajesh Shriramji Wankhade in the Teosa assembly seat. Nana Patole, on the other hand, won from the Sakoli assembly constituency by a wafer thin margin of 208 votes. 

All the MVA allies fall short of the criteria required to claim the Leader of Opposition post.

(With inputs from Ritvick Arun Bhalekar)