Mumbai, Aug 3 (IANS): Senior Congressman Vijay Wadettiwar will be the new Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, it was officially announced here on Thursday, a day before the monsoon ends on Friday.

The name of Wadettiwar, 60, was announced by Speaker Rahul Narwekar this afternoon and it was welcomed by thumping of desks and a hail of congratulations from MLAs of all political parties.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar warmly greeted and congratulated Wadettiwar -- and then escorted him to the chair of the LOP before the Opposition benches.

With over four decades in public life, Wadettiwar is a prominent OBC leader who hails from the Maoist-infested Chandrapur-Gadchiroli districts in the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra.

Earlier, he had served as a minister under different chief ministers handling a variety of portfolios and departments.

He was elected as the Leader of Opposition by the Maharashtra Congress earlier this week and his name was declared on Thursday -- just a day before the ongoing monsoon session of the legislature ends on Friday.