A fierce conflict can be seen over the post of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The post’s term officially ends in mid-March. It is currently held by the Congress, and this is being challenged following the party’s recent suspension of six of its corporators for ‘anti-party activities’, which has greatly reduced the Congress’s strength.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with a number of defections from Congress and NCP strengthening its fold, is one of the claimants for the post.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which had emerged as the second-largest party in the PMC in the 2012 civic polls, is also contesting for the post.
In a communication to Mayor Prashant Jagtap, BJP leader Ganesh Bidkar said that since the strength of both the Congress and the MNS has been greatly reduced in the present general body, the post must be given to a BJP corporator.
“As per law, a corporator from the second-largest party in the PMC should be appointed to the post,” Mr. Bidkar said.
Similarly, in a letter to Mr. Jagtap, MNS leader Kishore Shinde said “MNS’s present strength was more than Congress, it had right to the position of LoP”.
Rules of civic administration stipulate that the decision to appoint the LoP rests with the Mayor on the basis of the strength of political parties. An MNS corporator held the post after the 2012 civic polls, but it went to a corporator from the Congress after the MNS’s strength reduced in the civic body.
The BJP and the MNS both believe that whoever holds the post would get an edge over the ruling party (NCP) in the upcoming polls.
However, according to Congress leaders, the post wouldn’t mean much once the code of conduct comes into play.
