3 min readFeb 26, 2026 10:37 AM IST
Despite mounting pressure from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the ongoing month-long Budget Session of the Maharashtra legislature, which began on February 23, is unlikely to see a Leader of the Opposition (LoP) being named.
“With no political party in the Opposition meeting the criteria of 10 per cent strength in the state Legislative Assembly, there is no compulsion to concede to MVA demands,” a highly placed source said.
Sources said there is a view that any hasty decision to appoint an LoP, without meeting the mandatory 10 per cent strength criteria, would set a precedent that would have to be followed in the future.
The state legislature has been functioning without an LoP since November 2024.
As per convention, the Opposition party must have at least 10 per cent of the total strength of the state Legislative Assembly to qualify for recognition of the Leader of the Opposition. In Maharashtra, with a House strength of 288 MLAs, this translates to a minimum of 29 members.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 MLAs. Alliance partner Shiv Sena followed with 57 MLAs, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 41. On the Opposition side, Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 20 seats, Congress 16, and the NCP (SP) bagged 10.
A senior functionary in the ruling Mahayuti said, “We have taken a categorical stand not to take any stand on the matter. It is not the prerogative of the ruling parties to decide the LoP. We have left it to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, who is the appropriate authority.”
Story continues below this ad
Meanwhile, a BJP minister, requesting anonymity, slammed the Congress, NCP(SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) for attacking the Mahayuti for stalling the LoP appointment. “The point is none of the three main Opposition parties qualifies for the LoP,” he said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had maintained that the LoP decision is not under the government’s jurisdiction and falls under the prerogative of the Legislative Assembly Speaker.
However, Opposition leaders have slammed the Mahayuti for deliberately stalling the LoP process, citing rules. “It shows the arrogance of the ruling combine,” Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Bhaskar Jadhav said.
“The BJP has been systematically working to undermine all constitutional posts. It has total disregard for the Opposition,” state Congress chief Harshvardhan Patil alleged.
Story continues below this ad
The MVA had proposed Jadhav’s name as the LoP in the Legislative Assembly. The proposal is pending with Speaker Rahul Narwekar.
