Mahayuti should discuss whom to pick as LoP: Balasaheb Thorat

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance should discuss whom it would choose as the leader of the opposition (LoP) after the Maharashtra assembly elections, quipped Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat on Sunday, 29 September.

Talking to reporters, Throat expressed confidence that the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), will win over 180 seats.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will likely be held in November.

“Once we get a solid majority, we will unanimously decide on the CM candidate,” Thorat said, adding that Mahayuti parties — BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP — should start finalising who will be the LoP (leader of the opposition in the assembly).

Though the 'One Nation, One Election’ concept looks good on paper, it’s not feasible, he said.

“Otherwise, the government would have held Maharashtra polls with Haryana elections and not taken another month to campaign with taxpayers’ money,” said the senior Congress leader.

The MVA is confident of doing well in the upcoming polls after its impressive performance in the Lok Sabha elections, wherein it won 30 of the 48 seats in the state.

As an individual party, Congress emerged as the best, winning 13 of the 17 seats it contested. It now also has the support of Sangli MP Vishal Patil, who had contested as an independent.

By contrast, the Mahayuti bagged only 17 seats, with the BJP’s tally in the state dropping to 9 from 23 in the 2019 general elections.

“We are striving to get a solid majority as MVA. The chief ministerial candidate will be decided later,” Thorat said.

Winnability is the only criterion for seat sharing, he said, asserting that the MVA will fight unitedly and succeed. He added that the opposition bloc had already reached a consensus on 125 of the 288 seats.

Earlier in the day, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said the MVA would conclude its seat-sharing talks in 8–10 days.