MUMBAI, Sept. 9 -- The Congress on Monday staked claim to the leader of the opposition (LoP) post in the state legislative council through a letter to council chairman Ram Shinde. The party is likely to propose the name of senior leader Satej Patil for the post which has been vacant after the incumbent LoP, Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT), retired last week. HT had reported on July 20 that the Congress would claim the position and was likely to nominate Patil. Before meeting Shinde, senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, Congress legislative party leader Vijay Wadettiwar and MLA Amin Patel called on Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and sought his support for the party's claim on the LoP post, said a senior leader. Thackeray did not immediately extend support but said the three allies would have to resolve the issue together, he revealed. Nevertheless, the Congress leaders met Shinde immediately after the discussion with Thackeray and submitted their letter. Confirming this, Shinde said the letter would be studied and a decision taken. The post of assembly LoP has been vacant for the last ten months, and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar is yet to make an appointment despite the Sena (UBT) nominating Bhaskar Jadhav's name on March 4. The Congress has extended its support to Jadhav and expects the same support from the Sena (UBT) in the legislative council where it has the highest number of seats-eight-among the three opposition allies. The Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have six and three members respectively. At 20, the Sena (UBT) has the highest number of MLAs among the three opposition parties in the legislative assembly. The Congress has 16 and the NCP (SP) has ten. Balasaheb Thorat, who was part of the delegation, said that the Congress had also sought time from CM Devendra Fadnavis. "The issue related to the appointment of an LoP needs to be resolved and hence we will request the chief minister to intervene," he said....