The Congress, which has emerged the single largest party in the Opposition after the NCP split, has given Vijay Wadettiwar yet another opportunity to work as Opposition leader in the Assembly. On Thursday, Speaker Rahul Narvekar endorsed his appointment a day before the monsoon session ends. The NCP (Sharad Pawar) had recommended its Mumbra MLA Jitendra Ahwad for the post after Ajit Pawar`s revolt, but it didn`t pursue the matter further. Narvekar said Pawar had withdrawn the previous communication after Wadettiwar, 60, was finalised by his party.

In 2019, barely four months ahead of the Assembly polls, the then Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil had defected to the BJP. An aggressive Wadettiwar had filled the vacancy. Later, he became a cabinet minister in the MVA government. Now, with a year to go for the Assembly polls, the Brahmapuri MLA has been given the role for which he was preferred over leaders much senior to him.