MVA to boycott tea party: The leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi - Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) on Sunday decided to boycott the tea party hosted by the state government on the eve of the Monsoon Session of the legislature which starts Monday.
In a meeting organised by Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, belonging to Shiv Sena (UBT), was attended by Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat and Nationalist Congress Party's Jayant Patil.
The post of the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly has been lying vacant after Ajit Pawar, who previously held the office, resigned earlier this month and switched sides to join the Maharashtra government on July 2. He was accompanied by eight other MLAs of his camp who were also sworn in as ministers.
“We have decided to boycott the high tea invitation of the state government as it has failed to solve the woes of people on several fronts. This government's validity on Constitutional norms is already in question," Danve said while talking to the reporters.
'Join government or face charges'
He alleged that the government appears to be putting pressure on the Opposition leaders using the probe agencies and force them to either join the government or face false charges.
“We are seeing a gory picture of democracy in Maharashtra as several Constitutional norms are disregarded. The chief minister of Maharashtra himself is facing disqualification,” Danve said.
When asked if Congress would stake a claim to the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly after a split in the NCP, Balasaheb Thorat said, “Congress has 45 MLAs and we can stake a claim to the LoP post. "However the nomination of the candidate for the post will be decided by senior leaders in Delhi," he added.
As per norms, the post of LoP becomes official only after it is recognised by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
(With PTI inputs)
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