Mumbai: Congress has staked a claim to the leader of opposition (LoP) post in the Legislative Council. A senior Congress functionary told TOI the party handed over a letter with MLC Satej Patil’s name as LoP in the Legislative Council to chairperson Ram Shinde last week. The letter was signed by state Congress Chief Harshvardhan Sakpal before he left for an overseas trip, the functionary said. Shinde is now expected to formally announce Patil’s name either this week or next.A Congress delegation met with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday to discuss the nomination of a Congress leader as the LoP in the state’s upper house. The meeting also touched upon strategies for the upcoming BMC elections and the UBT’s potential alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). This meeting marks the first formal discussion between the Congress leaders and Uddhav Thackeray over the coming election, following his recent rally with MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The Thackeray cousins hinted at the possibility of contesting the civic elections together.The Congress delegation, which included prominent MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, former minister Balasaheb Thorat, and MLA Amin Patel, plans to report the meeting’s outcomes to their high command in Delhi before proceeding with further discussions. Congress currently holds eight seats compared to Shiv Sena (UBT)’s six, following the end of UBT’s Ambadas Danve’s tenure as LoP in the council on Aug 29.Amin Patel, speaking to the media, confirmed that the discussions covered various issues, including the LoP position and local civic elections. When asked about the discussion over UBT’s possible alliance with MNS and Congress’s position on it, Balasaheb Thorat refused to make any comment to the media and said all is being discussed, and the Congress leadership in Delhi would make the final decision on the further course of action.The outcome of these discussions is crucial as it could influence the dynamics of the BMC elections, historically dominated by the undivided Shiv Sena for over two decades. Congress’s insistence on the LoP position is seen as a strategic move to strengthen its bargaining power in the alliance talks during the civic election. However, the potential alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS could complicate matters for the Congress, which may not be entirely comfortable with such a partnership. The evolving political landscape in Maharashtra continues to be closely watched, with the BMC elections serving as a critical battleground for all parties involved, say political observers.
