Mumbai : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said appointing the Leader of Opposition in the state legislative assembly was the prerogative of the Speaker and the government would not interfere in it.
Talking to reporters after the conclusion of the over three-week-long Budget session of the state legislature, he also said the Mahayuti government was working towards ensuring that the state’s growth rate speeds up.
In the November 2024 assembly polls, the Mahayuti alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) registered a resounding victory by winning 230 of the 288 assembly seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) managed to bag only 46 seats.
No Leader of Opposition has been appointed so far in the assembly.
Fadnavis said, “The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly will be decided by the speaker. He is not under pressure from the government.”
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav said the legislature secretariat gave him in writing that there was no criteria for how many members the opposition party should have in the House to get the post of LoP.
Talking about the business carried out during the session, Fadnavis said the legislature passed 12 bills, including the Maharashtra Mathadi, Hamal and Other Manual Workers (Regulation of Employment and Welfare) (Amendment) Bill to prevent bogus mathadis (head-loaders and porters).
“The government does not underestimate the opposition. Instead of speaking on issues in the legislature, the opposition was protesting on the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan complex,” Shinde said.
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