Mumbai: With the BJP expressing its intent to claim the leader of opposition berth in the civic body as the second largest party in the civic body, the final call will boil down to the Mumbai Mayor, who will have to consent to any such appointment.
Mayor Kishori Pednekar from the Shiv Sena, however, is non-committal on the issue. Speaking to FPJ, Pednekar said, “I have not received any representation from the BJP. However I will analysis the issue and when it comes before me I will decide the course of action as per the procedures.”
BJP MLA from Ghatkopar, Ram Kadam has, however, made the BJP’s intent clear. “We are claiming the leader of opposition post, which is our right as the second largest party in the BMC. In 2017, we were in alliance with the Sena so we didn’t want to go against them, but today, we are not in an alliance with them,” said Kadam
“In the 2022 corporation election, the mayor will be of the BJP party. This time we fell short by two-three corporators, but will get more numbers than the Sena next time. Congress is in alliance with Sena in the state government, but in the BMC, they are in the opposition. This is a double standard. We will dig out all the corruption of the Shiv Sena. Also, we will challenge for the opposition’s post in BMC, “ Kadam added.
Although the BJP is the second-largest party in the BMC, in 2017, it decided not to be in the opposition in the civic body as it was then in an alliance with the Shiv Sena in the state. At the time, the Shiv Sena got 84 seats and the BJP got 82 seats in the corporation.
After the BMC election results on February 23, 2017, the BJP dithered on deciding whether it would sit in opposition in the BMC or not. Therefore, the post was vacant till the end of March. At the BMC general body meeting held on March 8, 2017, Congress leader Ravi Raja raised the issue of how the post of 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 BJP was asked whether they would be in opposition as they were the second largest party in BMC, they rejected the idea citing they would want to act as a watchdog. The mayor then took legal opinion and declared me as opposition leader. Now, its up to the mayor, whether or not she agrees to the BJP’s claim on the post,” Ravi Raja, the incumbent leader of opposition from Congress told FPJ.
“According to the BMC act, 1888, article 37-1(A), the second largest party has the claim on the leader of opposition. Since BJP did not accept it, Congress, which stood third, got the post. The mayor has the authority to make a choice in this regard. The Mayor 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.
source https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/all-eyes-on-mayor-as-bjp-targets-oppn-berth-in-bmc
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