Overview
- Opposition parties under the MVA banner condemned the vacancies as weakening oversight and boycotted the chief minister’s customary pre-session tea.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called the situation a mockery of democracy and questioned how the Houses can function without recognised opposition leaders.
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said decisions on recognising Leaders of Opposition rest with the Assembly Speaker and Council Chairman.
- In the Legislative Council, Congress’s attempt to propose Satej Patil lost traction after MLC Pradnya Satav resigned in December and joined the BJP, reducing the party below the threshold.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) argued there is no statutory bar to recognition and cited past instances of smaller parties holding the post, while its Saamana editorial likened the government’s stance to Duryodhana’s ego.