Mumbai, June 23 (IANS) Following the latest round of Legislative Council election results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as a dominant force in the upper house of the Maharashtra Legislature. Meanwhile, the Opposition is locked in an internal tussle over the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP).

In the currently active 73-member house, the BJP alone commands 35 seats, pushing it closer to an absolute majority on its own.

The BJP has emerged as an undisputed powerhouse in Maharashtra’s upper house. With the latest seat adjustments, passing any legislative Bill will no longer be an uphill task for the saffron party, effectively handing them the “trump card” in the upper house.

The 78-member Legislative Council requires a simple majority mark of 39 seats. Political observers note that if the remaining Governor-nominated five seats are filled quickly, the BJP could single-handedly touch the doorstep of a majority.

Of the 12 total seats traditionally nominated by the Governor, seven have already been filled. Out of the remaining five vacant seats, seat-sharing discussions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance suggest that the BJP is slated to secure three, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will likely receive one each.

If these appointments go through, the BJP’s individual strength will rise from 35 to 38 —just one seat short of a standalone majority.

By the end of this year, biennial elections for 5 Graduate and Teacher constituencies will take place. Political analysts view this as a golden opportunity for the BJP to settle old political scores and scale its tally. If the party secures even 3 out of these 5 seats, its tally will breach the 40-plus mark, granting it a brute majority entirely on its own.

The growth marks a rapid expansion for the Legislative Council. Just two months ago, the House was heavily depleted with only 47 active members. However, the induction of 9 members via the state Assembly in May, followed by 17 members from Local Authorities’ constituencies, has restored the House strength to 73.

Meanwhile, political alignments continue to fluidly shift. Independent candidate Gokul Gite, who won the Nashik Local Authorities’ constituency, has officially joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, boosting their party strength to 12 MLCs.

The Chairman’s post is already held by the BJP’s Ram Shinde. For the Deputy Chairperson position, a decision is expected this week, with Dr Neelam Gorhe of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena widely tipped to return to the post.

While the ruling alliance consolidates its power, the Opposition is locked in an internal tussle.

Both the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) have staked a strong claim to the vacant LoP post. A resolution on who will lead the Opposition Bench is unlikely to be reached in the immediate days of the current session.

–IANS

sj/rad