BENGALURU: BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who moved a calling attention motion on the diversion of SCP-TSP funds, raised his hand in protest and shouted ‘shame, shame’ at the Congress benches before walking out of the Legislative Council on Monday. But little did he or other BJP leaders know that within a few hours from then, Chalavadi would be appointed leader of opposition in the Upper House.
The post had fallen vacant after the previous BJP leader in the House, Kota Srinivas Poojary, got elected to the Lok Sabha.
Chalavadi, who joined the BJP from Congress, had to work hard to earn his saffron stripes and now he has been rewarded. A Dalit leader, he has said on many occasions that if he had remained in Congress, he would not have become even an MLC.
It is said that though party general secretary BL Santhosh had backed CT Ravi, former national general secretary, and former CM BS Yediyurappa and state BJP president BY Vijayendra had supported the candidature of Ravi Kumar, Chalavadi has been chosen as a compromise candidate.
Both camps are said to be happy with his appointment. Party sources said it is social justice that led BJP to appoint a Dalit to this important position as the state party president Vijayendra is a Lingayat and Assembly opposition leader, R Ashoka, is a Vokkaliga.
SP’s Lal Bihari Yadav Becomes Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council
Samajwadi Party member Lal Bihari Yadav. (Image: News18 Hindi)
Samajwadi Party member Lal Bihari Yadav has been made the Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
“Legislative Council Chairman Kunwar Manvendra Singh, using the power given in the Constitution, has made Lal Bihari Yadav the Leader of Opposition in the House,” the council’s Principal Secretary Dr Rajesh Singh said in an order issued here.
The party’s national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI that SP’s Kiranpal Kashyap has been made the chief whip in the Legislative Council, while Ashutosh Sinha has been made the whip and Jasmeer Ansari has been made the deputy leader of the council.
For the post of leader of opposition in the 100-member House, the largest opposition party needs at least 10 members.
Earlier, the SP did not have the numbers but following the Legislative Council elections held in March this year, the party’s membership increased to 10 after securing three additional seats.
At present, the ruling BJP has the highest number of 79 members in the Legislative Council. Apart from these, there is one member each of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal (Sonelal), Nishad Party, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, Jansatta Dal Loktantric and Teachers’ Group and four Independent members.
One seat is still vacant in the Upper House.
Yadav hails from Azamgarh and is member from the Varanasi Teachers constituency.
