The Maharashtra government has issued a new resolution that significantly alters the entitlements for legislative whips, a move that effectively excludes all current opposition parties from receiving state-funded facilities. The decision, based on a strict numerical threshold, has sparked a major political controversy.
What the New Government Resolution Says
Issued by the state's Parliamentary Affairs department on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the Government Resolution (GR) standardizes the status, facilities, and honorarium for chief whips and whips of political parties in the state legislature. The core stipulation is that only whips from parties that command at least 10% of the total House strength will be entitled to state-funded benefits.
Under the new norms, the chief whip of a qualifying party will be accorded the protocol rank of a Cabinet minister, while the whip will get the status of a Minister of State. However, they will not receive the salary, allowances, or other facilities of those ministerial positions. Instead, they will receive a fixed monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000 for the chief whip and Rs 20,000 for the whip.
Opposition Left Out in the Cold
The immediate and stark consequence of this rule is that not a single opposition party in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly meets the 10% criteria, which requires at least 29 members. As a result, none of their appointed whips will receive the standardized status, facilities, or honorarium.
This development follows the unresolved demand from the opposition for the appointment of a Leader of Opposition (LoP). Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has not cleared the LoP appointment, with sources citing the same 10% rule as the reason.
Political Composition and Reactions
The ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance comfortably crosses the threshold: the BJP has 132 MLAs, Shiv Sena has 57, and the NCP has 41. In contrast, the main opposition parties are far below the mark: Shiv Sena (UBT) has 20 members, the Congress has 16, and the NCP (SP) has 10. The remaining seats are held by smaller parties and independents.
The opposition has slammed the move as politically motivated. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant strongly criticized the decision, stating, "This is a typical BJP government behaviour, denying basic decency to Opposition parties. This is not only outrageous but unsurprising as per that party's track record."
The government's resolution frames the change as a standardization measure. However, critics argue it institutionalizes a disadvantage for the opposition in the legislative process, where whips play a crucial role in enforcing party discipline and managing business.
