Kadam is the new Opposition leader

The intrigue over the post of Opposition leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is over, albeit for the time being. Two months after the post fell vacant, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar has accepted Shiv Sena’s claim for the post.  Ramdas Kadam will be the new Opposition Leader.

The Shiv Sena with 62 MLAs, is the largest opposition party. But this figure includes the ten MLA’s allegedly owing allegiance to Rane. If they quit, the BJP with 54 MLAs, will have more MLAs than the Sena. The BJP was toying with the idea of staking a claim to it, despite the Sena staking claim for it.

Kadam was summoned by the Speaker to the Vidhan Bhavan this evening and informed about the decision. Rane would make a statement on Monday. State BJP president Nitin Gadkari alleged that the decision was “NCP’s strategy” since they did not want Gopinath Munde to take the post though the BJP had the numerical advantage in the event of ten MLA’s owing allegiance to Rane resigning.