BJP leaves decision to Amit Shah to elect Odisha legislative party leader
BHUBANESWAR: With too many aspirants vying for the post of BJP Legislature Party Leader in Odisha Assembly, the saffron party has left it to national president Amit Shah to take a final call on the issue.
The newly-elected BJP legislators, who met here in presence of Central observer and Rajya Sabha Member Saroj Pandey to elect their leader in the Assembly, reportedly authorised the national president to select the person who will eventually be the Leader of Opposition.
“Wait for a day or two to know who will be the Leader of BJP Legislature Party,” senior BJP MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi told reporters after the meeting.
The Central observer, who took the views of legislators on the issue, will apprise Shah about it. The decision of the national president is final, said the Dhamnagar MLA.
Sources familiar with the development said Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra and Bhawanipatna legislator Pradipta Naik are the front-runners for the post.
However, given the trend in other states, the possibility of a leader being picked up from the Scheduled categories may not be ruled out.
Of 23 MLAs of the BJP in the Assembly, 11 belong to Scheduled Tribes while five members are from Scheduled Caste communities.
It has always been a practice in BJP to authorise its national president to name the leader of the legislature party.
The party president will intimate the Speaker of the Assembly in writing, naming the party MLA who is chosen as the Leader in the House,” said former minister KV Singh Deo.
With 23 MLAs, the BJP has emerged as the second largest party in the Assembly after 2019 elections. The leader of the BJP Legislature Party will be appointed as the Leader of Opposition by the Speaker.
Responding to queries, Sethi said the BJP will play the role of Opposition as mandated by the people of the State.
It will raise all important issues including the failure of the state government to bring normalcy in cyclone Fani affected districts even after nearly two months.
The party will also corner the government on issues like crumbling health services and primary education, deteriorating law and order situation, distress sale of paddy, non-consolidation of weak embankments before the monsoon and farmers’ problems.
The legislature party meeting, presided by State president and MP Basanta Panda, was attended by Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi, former Union Minister Jual Oram, national general secretary in-charge of Odisha Arun Singh and national secretary and Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari.