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Mumbai, Shiv Sena on Monday wrote to the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly informing him of their decision to sit in the Opposition.
“We have claimed the post of leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly,” Neelam Gore said, as per ANI. Sena’s Eknath Shinde will be the Leader of the Opposition in the House.
Earlier today, the Sena had occupied Opposition benches as the special three-day session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly began here during which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will seek a trust vote as mandated by the Governor when he stakes claim to form the government.
Sena members, wearing saffron pheta (headgear) came to Legislative Assembly in a group and occupied the benches meant for Opposition, where their seating arrangement was made, in keeping with the norms for the second largest party in the 288-member House.
Before the House proceedings began at 11 am, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath as Protem Speaker to senior legislator Jeeva Pandu Gavit, at Raj Bhavan.
Gavit then administered the oath to newly-elected members of the House. The process will continue tomorrow. On November 12, the last day of the session, election for the Speaker will be held.
Shiv Sena sources said that the party was likely to field its nominee for the post.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had yesterday announced that the party will sit in Opposition if BJP accepted NCP’s support to win the trust vote.
While some members invoked God before taking oath, there was a member who said “Jai Vidarbha” while there was another who said “Namo” while taking oath.
Earlier today while speaking to reporters, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “We consistently tried to work along with Shiv Sena, we are still attempting the same, talks with them are on, there will certainly be a solution.”
Interestingly, NCP president Sharad Pawar had claimed on Saturday that some Shiv Sena leaders had reportedly met him a couple of times, but did not make any “proposal”, embarrassing the Sena on the eve of the crucial assembly session.
