MUMBAI, Dec 1 - Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was on Sunday named Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, while Congress MLA Nana Patole was elected Speaker of the House.
Patole, 57, who was earlier in the day elected unopposed as the Speaker after BJP�s Kisan Kathore withdrew from the fray, announced that Fadnavis is the new Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
�It is poetic justice that those who wanted non-existence of the Opposition will now have to work as an effective Opposition,� Patole said.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government passed the floor test in the State Assembly on Saturday. Altogether 169 MLAs voted in favour of the motion of confidence after the BJP, which has 105 MLAs, staged a walkout before the head count began in the 288-member House.
For Fadnavis, 49, this is his fifth term as an MLA, while it is the fourth one for Patole.
NCP minister Jayant Patil appreciated the �spirit of understanding� shown by the BJP in withdrawing its candidate and ensuring that Patole was elected unopposed.
�He (Fadnavis) said he would return, but didn�t say where he will sit (in the House),� Patil said.
�Now he has returned and is occupying this top post (of Leader of Opposition) which is of the same level as CM post,� Patil said. � PTI
