Maharashtra: Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar assumes charge as new Leader of Opposition

The Congress has got the Leader of Opposition position in the Maharashtra Assembly. The post had fallen vacant after Ajit Pawar, who led a revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar, joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra.

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has taken charge as the new Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday, a day before the Monsoon session ends on Friday.

The name of 60-year-old Wadettiwar was announced by Speaker Rahul Narwekar this afternoon in the Legislative Assembly and it was welcomed by thumping of desks and a hail of congratulations from MLAs of all political parties. The post of the Leader of Opposition was vacant after Ajit Pawar, who held the post, orchestrated the coup in the Nationalist Congress Party and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on July 2.

Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar warmly greeted and congratulated Wadettiwar. With over four decades in public life, Wadettiwar is a prominent OBC leader who hails from the Maoist-infested Chandrapur-Gadchiroli districts in the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra.

Earlier, he had served as a Minister under different Chief Ministers handling a variety of portfolios and departments. He was elected as the Leader of Opposition by the Maharashtra Congress earlier this week and his name was declared by the grand old party.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) Devendra Fadnavis said that he and other ministers in the government will factually answer the questions, which will be raised by the new Leader of the Opposition. DCM Ajit Pawar, who himself has been the LOP, said that becoming a Leader of the Opposition is an opportunity and Wadettiwar will make optimum use of it.

"The Congress had given you an opportunity in the past for a brief while. I am sure that you will diligently perform your duties as the Leader of the Opposition," said Ajit Pawar, who represents the Baramati constituency, in the Maharashtra Assembly.