Maharashtra election results: A first in 6 decades, no leader of opposition, as main opposition party wins under 10% of seats | India News – Times of India

MUMBAI: For the first time in six decades, there will be no leader of opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra legislative assembly owing to an inadequate number of opposition members.
As per the provisions of the Salaries and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in the State Legislature Act, a leader of opposition can be nominated if the party has 10% of the elected members, former principal secretary (legislature) Anant Kalse said.
“So, in the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly, only if the opposition party has 28 elected members can it nominate the leader of opposition,” Kalse told TOI. “According to Saturday’s state assembly poll results, since the largest opposition party – Shiv Sena (UBT) – has only 21 members, it cannot stake a claim for the post. Congress, with 16 members, and Sharad Pawar-led NCP, with 10 members, are not even in the zone of consideration,” he added.
“The rules and procedures pertaining to the requirement of LoP are quite elaborate in the book, Practice and Procedure of Parliament, by M N Kaul and S L Shakdher. There is no scope for Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) to have a leader of opposition,” Kalse said.
Under the rules, the LoP post also cannot be secured based on the combined strength of the three parties even if they had a pre-poll alliance, he added.
It was way back in 1962 and 1967 that there were no LoPs since then Congress used to win the elections by unprecedented margins. “With massive wins for Congress, there was no scope for the appointment of a LoP,” Kalse said.