While there is a struggle among the opposition for the post of Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly and legislative council, the status of ministerial rank and accompanying facilities for the whips of the opposition parties has also come into question. The parliamentary affairs department of the state has stipulated that only the whips of parties with at least 10 percent membership in the respective house, apart from the ruling parties, will receive ministerial rank and facilities. A government decision regarding this was announced on Wednesday.
Since the 15th Assembly came into existence in November 2024, no Leader of the Opposition has been appointed in the Assembly to date. As none of the constituent parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi have 10 percent of the assembly members, the demand for the post of Leader of the Opposition from the opposition front has not been accepted. Similarly, the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council is also vacant. After the term of Shiv Sena UBT's Ambadas Danve ended last August, this position has not been filled. Due to the resignation of Congress's Pragya Satav, the strength of Congress in the Legislative Council has decreased, making it unlikely for Congress to get the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council in the near future.
In the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, each party has a chief whip and a whip. In 2017, a decision was made to give the chief whip the status of a cabinet minister and the whip the status of a state minister. Accordingly, the chief whip was given an honorarium of 25,000 rupees per month, while the whip was given 20,000 rupees. Vehicle allowance of 25,000 and 20,000 rupees respectively, vehicle arrangement for the Nagpur session for the Mumbai session, as well as office, telephone service, a personal assistant, a clerk-typist, and a peon were provided in the legislature during the session period.
However, according to the new government decision, since the opposition parties do not have the required 10 percent strength in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, the whips of any party will no longer receive the status of a minister on the opposition benches and the related facilities. This decision is considered to be a further blow to the opposition parties, which are already facing a shortage of numbers.