The Congress on Tuesday officially nominated Vijay Wadettiwar, its former leader of opposition in the state legislative assembly, as the new Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly. The position had been left vacant after Ajit Pawar, the previous LoP, switched sides to join the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2, taking along with him a majority of party MLAs.
The decision to nominate Vijay Wadettiwar as the LoP was conveyed by the party high command to the state party leadership. Balasaheb Thorat, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, handed over a letter to Speaker Rahul Narvekar to formally communicate the party's decision. Thorat will continue to hold his position as the CLP leader, as stated in the letter.
The nomination has been formally presented to the Speaker, and it is expected that Wadettiwar will assume the post immediately on Wednesday, coinciding with the resumption of the assembly's last week of the ongoing monsoon session.
Speaking highly of Wadettiwar's capabilities, Balasaheb Thorat said, "Wadettiwar is a very capable leader. He has already served as the Leader of Opposition in 2019, and his performance in that role was highly impressive."
Addressing his approach as the new LoP, Wadettiwar emphasised that despite facing challenges due to a smaller number of opposition members, the opposition can still play a crucial role in holding the government accountable and influencing its decisions when they are not in the public interest. He expressed the intention to be a constructive force in this regard.
After Ajit Pawar's departure, the Congress emerged as the largest Opposition party in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly. However, the party did not immediately claim the LoP position. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had initially nominated Jitendra Awhad as the party's nominee for the post. But it became evident that a majority of NCP MLAs sided with Ajit Pawar, causing NCP to lose its claim to the post. The Congress took nearly three weeks to finalize the name of the LoP mainly due to several contenders aspiring for the position within the state party unit.
Nana Patole, the Maharashtra Congress president, who had resigned as the Speaker during the MVA regime, was a strong contender for the LoP position. Additionally, CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat and former minister Yashomati Thakur were also in the running. Sangram Thopte, a party MLA from Bhor, had garnered support from 28 party MLAs for his bid for the post. Despite these options, the party eventually selected Vijay Wadettiwar, a former minister, as the Leader of Opposition. Wadettiwar had previously been appointed as LoP by the Congress on June 24, 2019, following the departure of Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who joined the BJP.
Vijay Wadettiwar represents the Brahmapuri assembly constituency in the Vidarbha region of Chandrapur district. Vidarbha is traditionally considered a stronghold of the BJP, and by selecting both the state unit president and the LoP from this region, the Congress may face challenges in retaining support in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada regions, where it still maintains significant pockets of support. Some MLAs who backed Thopte had even issued a warning to the party leadership, threatening to identify themselves as a separate group if their demands were not met. However, it appears the party did not take this threat seriously. The outcome of this situation remains to be seen.
Wadettiwar's political career began in the late '80s with the Shiv Sena, where he led several agitations that helped shape his leadership qualities. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the separate Gadchiroli district. Later, in 2005, he joined the Congress. Known for his assertive style, Wadettiwar demonstrates a deep understanding of various issues, evident in his speeches in the legislature. His problem-solving abilities are also valued within his party. In the 2019 assembly elections, held just a month after his appointment as the LoP, Wadettiwar's aggressive approach and astute understanding of state politics contributed to the Congress gaining a substantial number of party MLAs. During the MVA rule, he served as the minister for water resources and energy.
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