Vijender Gupta returns to Delhi Assembly as BJP’s Leader of Opposition

Vijender Gupta succeeds Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who was elected an MP from South Delhi in Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Vijender Gupta was elected leader of the BJP’s seven-member legislative party and will now represent the voice of the Opposition in the 70-member House.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced the appointment of its Rohini MLA, Vijender Gupta, as the next Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Gupta has been elected leader of the BJP’s seven-member Legislative Party and will now represent the voice of the opposition in the 70-member House dominated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This will be his second stint as the LoP. He was the leader of the BJP’s three-member and then four-member opposition in the Assembly from 2015 to 2020.

The post has been vacant since June 18 when former LoP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who was elected from South Delhi and is now a Member of Parliament, formally wrote to BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda to relieve from its responsibility.

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A senior BJP leader said the appointment was not only crucial as per the rules but also bearing in mind that the Delhi Assembly may convene for one of its final, if not the last, sittings with the Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled in early 2025, just around the corner.

Party sources said Gupta, a two-time MLA, was chosen for the post yet again in appreciation of his work during his first term as well as his proficiency in legislative rules and procedures. “The meeting took place at the party office in the presence of co-incharge Dr Alka Gurjar, Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva, and organisational General Secretary Pavan Rana with all seven Party MLAs present,” the Delhi BJP stated.

“MLA Ajay Mahawar proposed the name of Vijendra Gupta as the leader of the Party. MLAs Mohan Singh Bisht, O.P. Sharma, Anil Bajpai, Abhay Verma, and Jitendra Mahajan seconded the proposal thereby unanimously electing Vijendra Gupta as the Party leader,” it also stated adding that Sachdeva then formally announced his name as LOP.

The Delhi Assembly was last in session for the Budget Session in March-April this year.

Jatin Anand

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. Over the last 16 years, he has covered governance, politics, bureaucracy, crime, traffic, intelligence, the Election Commission of India and Urban Development among other beats. He is an English (Literature) graduate from Zakir Husain Delhi College, DU & specialised in Print at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. He tweets @jatinpaul ... Read More

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