Mumbai: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressing its intent to claim the leader of opposition post in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), BJP Member of Parliament Manoj Kotak and the Party’s Mumbai president Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Thursday handed over a letter to Mayor Kishori Pednekar at her office, stating that its corporator Prabhakar Shinde be named the leader of the opposition in the BMC and as the second largest party in the civic body.
Pednekar, who is from the Shiv Sena, said, “I have received the letter from the BJP, but haven’t read it yet. I will need to obtain legal opinion on this and will follow the appropriate procedure.”
“After the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the BJP has become the opposition. Now, we cannot act as watchdogs for Mumbaikars any more and hence, the party has decided to raise its voice to provide facilities for Mumbaikars.
For this reason, my name been suggested for the opposition leader’s post in the BMC. Today, a letter for the same has been given to the mayor and she will decide,” said Shinde.
He further added, “Although ours is the second-largest party in the BMC, we are in the opposition.
BJP was the second largest party in 2017, but it decided not to be in the opposition in the civic body, as it was then allied with the Shiv Sena in the state. At that time, the Sena had 85 seats and the BJP had 82 seats in the corporation.
After the BMC election results on February 23, 2017, the BJP dithered on whether or not it would sit in the opposition in the BMC. Therefore, the post of the leader of opposition remained vacant till the end of March.
At the BMC general body meeting on March 8, 2017, Congress leader Ravi Raja raised the issue of how the post of the opposition leader, which was a constitutional post, could remain vacant.
BJP leader Manoj Kotak made it clear that the BJP would play the role of a watchdog, instead of sitting in the opposition.
Following this, a Congress candidate was recognised as the leader of opposition by the mayor.
“In 2017, when the BJP was asked whether they would be in the opposition as they were the second largest party in the BMC, they rejected the idea, citing they would want to act as a watchdog. The mayor then sought legal opinion and declared me as opposition leader.
Now, it’s up to the mayor, whether or not she accepts the BJP’s claim to the post,” Raja, the incumbent leader of opposition from the Congress told The Free Press Journal.
“According to the BMC Act, 1888, article 37-1(A), the second largest party has the claim to the post of the leader of the opposition. Since the BJP did not accept it, the Congress, which stood third, got the post.
The mayor has the authority to make a choice in this regard. She can keep the issue pending by pointing to the BJP’s decision in 2017. The BJP’s claim can also be kept pending by seeking legal opinion,” said a BMC official, who did not wish to be named.
