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Journalism of Courage
More than six months after BJP’s disastrous performance in the Karnataka polls, the party is expected to appoint a Leader of Opposition (LoP) Friday.
Newly elected BJP state president B Y Vijayendra has scheduled a meeting of the legislature party at a private hotel in the city. It is expected the meeting will draw curtains on who will be LoP in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
According to speculations, former deputy chief minister R Ashoka is considered a front-runner for the LoP post. Hailing from the Vokkaliga community, Ashoka represents Padmanabhanagar constituency and served as deputy LoP from 2014 to 2018.
Other names doing the rounds include former deputy CM C N Ashwath Narayan (Vokkaliga) and former minister V Sunil Kumar (OBC). With Vijayendra, a Lingayat, at the helm of party affairs in the state, the party is expected to elect either a Vokkaliga or OBC for the LoP post, keeping caste equations of the party in mind.
While Ashoka is considered to be part of BJP parliamentary board member and former CM B S Yediyurappa’s camp, the other two are associated with BJP general secretary B L Santhosh’s camp.
Election of the LoP is also expected to indicate who was calling the shots in the state BJP unit. After camp Santhosh dominated the state party unit during the BJP’s rule in the state, the tide appears to have turned in favour of camp Yediyurappa, following the appointment of his second son as BJP state president.
In the Legislative Council, former minister Kota Srinivas Poojary is considered a favourite for the LoP post.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Ashoka said that there were four to five aspirants for the post. “Whoever the party decides, will get the post,” he said, adding that an LoP will be announced during the Friday meeting in the presence of central observers.
The appointment of LoPs will come ahead of the state legislature’s winter session scheduled from December 4. BJP had participated in the previous session without LoP, giving the ruling Congress ammunition to take a dig at the saffron party for its inability to elect a leader.
Initially, the BJP was expected to take a decision on the LoP and leave deciding the appointment of a party president for later. The appointment of the LoP coming on the heels of the state president’s appointment indicates B Y Vijayendra — who is also an MLA — will have a say in the choice of candidate.
