In a first in six decades, no Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly

Sun Nov 24 06:26:46 UTC 2024: ## Maharashtra Assembly Faces Unprecedented Situation: No Leader of Opposition

**Mumbai, November 24, 2024** – For the first time in six decades, the Maharashtra Assembly will be without a Leader of the Opposition (LoP). This is due to a lack of sufficient MLAs in the opposition benches to meet the required threshold.

Following a landslide victory in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured 233 out of 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats, followed by Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena (57 seats) and an unnamed Deputy Chief Minister’s party (41 seats).

The rules stipulate that an opposition party must hold at least 10% of the Assembly’s total seats (28 out of 288) to appoint a LoP. Currently, the Congress holds 16 seats, the NCP 10, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena 21 – none individually meeting the requirement. The combined opposition numbers also fall short of the necessary threshold. This unprecedented situation marks a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.