Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on August 8 nominated party MLC Ambadas Danve for the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
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In a letter to the chairman of the Legislative Council, Uddhav Thackeray said party MLCs had authorised him to nominate a candidate for the post of LoP in a meeting on July 9. Mr. Danve hails from Aurangabad, a district which has four rebel Sena MLAs.
Last month, a delegation of Shiv Sena MLCs Manisha Kayande, Sachin Ahir, Ambadas Danve, Vilas Potnis and Sunil Shinde met Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe and submitted a letter regarding the LoP and chief whip.
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As of July 8, the 78-member Maharashtra Legislative Council has 24 members from the BJP, 12 from the Shiv Sena and 10 each from the Congress and the NCP. Lok Bharti, Peasants and Workers Party of India and Rashtriya Samaj Paksh have one member each. There are four Independents, while 15 seats in the Legislative Council are vacant.
If Mr. Danve becomes the Leader of Opposition, it will be a rare instance of the Chief Minister and the LoP in the Legislative Council belonging to the same party but different factions. Nationalist Congress Party's Ajit Pawar is the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.