For first time in six decades, Maharashtra will not have Leader of Opposition, here's why

For the first time in six decades, Maharashtra will not have a Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly due to the inadequate number of MLAs in the opposition bloc. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti registered a landslide victory in the assembly election. With the BJP winning 132, Shiv Sena 57 and the NCP-Ajit Pawar 41 seats, the total tally of the Mahayuti alliance stood at 233 in the 288-member legislative assembly, including the seat share of other allies. 

The total seat count of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi stood at merely 49 - with the Congress securing 16, NCP has 10, and Shiv Sena has 21 seats, including the seat share of other allies. 

As per rules, an opposition party should have 10% of the total strength of the assembly, which the MVA lacks in the current scenario. 

In the 288-member legislative assembly, at least one opposition party should have won 10% of the total strength, i.e., 28, to appoint the Leader of Opposition (LoP). 

Maharashtra BJP Chief lashes out at opposition 

Given that there will be no LoP in the state assembly, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule lashed out at Congress, saying that Maharashtra not having a Leader of Opposition (LoP) was a result of "wrong deeds" committed by Congress and the opposition parties.

"Maharashtra will not have a leader of the opposition (LoP) this time. This is the result of the wrong deeds of Congress and the opposition. They spread fake narratives in Lok Sabha Elections and duped voters at that time. So when people came to know about this in assembly polls, voters kicked them out as they did in Haryana," he said, as reported by news agency ANI.