The Winter Session of the State Legislature, starting from December 8, will be unique as there won’t be Leaders of Opposition in both Houses - Assembly and Council. Ambadas Danve’s (Shiv Sena UBT) term as Leader of Opposition in the Council ended, and no consensus has been reached among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents on a replacement. In the Assembly, Shiv Sena (UBT) has 21 members, Congress has 16, and NCP (SP) has 10, but none meet the 29-seat requirement. Shiv Sena (UBT) recommended Bhaskar Jadhav for the post, but the decision is pending.

 

The main opposition parties did not have enough seats to meet the legal requirement of 10% of the total seats. While in Council where the term of Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT) ended, the consensus has not reached among the constituents of Maha Vikas Aaghadi (MVA) as to whose member would become LoP. In the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, a party needs at least 29 seats to be eligible for this post, and the largest opposition party, Shiv Sena (UBT), won only 21 seats.

 

This is the first time in six decades that Maharashtra has not had a Leader of Opposition. Shiv Sena (UBT) has 21 members, Congress has 16 members and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) has 10 members. But it was decided that the largest party can claim the post of LoP. Accordingly, Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena Chief sent a letter recommending name of Bhaskar Jadhav for the post. The decision on it yet is pending. Similarly, in Legislative Council, the tenure of Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT) ended in August, 2025. The other constituent parties---Congress and NCP (SP) feel their members should get the opportunity. A leader of Congress pointed out that, in both houses, Sena leaders can’t be recommended. Due to the internal silent rift, the consensus has not reached leading to indecision about the member to hold the post.