Saffron party likely to pick Leader of the Opposition

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 9

Uttarakhand BJP legislators are likely to select a new Leader of the Opposition at a two-day meeting slated to begin at Ramnagar on February 14.

While senior BJP office-bearers are maintaining that the two-day meeting has been called to discuss the strategy for the 2017 Assembly elections, there is a likelihood that that saffron party’s legislators will discuss the issue of anointing a new Leader of the Opposition on the second day of the meeting.

“Our meeting at Ramnagar is being held to chalk out a strategy for the 2017 Assembly elections. The issue of a new Leader of the Opposition could be discussed at the meeting,” said Naresh Bansal, general secretary of the state BJP.

After the elevation of Ajay Bhatt as the president of the state BJP, there have been indications about his relinquishing the responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition in pursuance of the one-man, one-post policy.

Several MLAs, including BS Chuphal, Madan Kaushik, Pushkar Dhami and Teerath Singh Rawat, are vying for the post.

Further, the budget session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly is proposed to be held in the first week of March, the BJP would nominate a leader well in advance to take on the Congress in the Assembly.

Shyam Jaju, in charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand, and national general secretary (organisation) Shiv Prakash Jaiswal will be present at the meeting.