Bhubaneswar: In a historic moment, former Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik today elected as Leader of the BJD Legislature Party.
With this election, Shri Patnaik is all set to be the new Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly as BJD is the principal Opposition party in the House.
For the first time in his political career, Naveen is going to sit in the Opposition bench in the Assembly and now he will continue to lead the party from the Opposition party too.
Speaking to media persons after holding a meeting of BJD MLAs, Shri Patnaik says, “We just had a meeting of the BJD MLAs who have been elected to the recent elections. I congratulated and thanked them. They have elected me as the LoP and the leader of the Biju Legislative Party.”
He announced that senior BJD lawmaker Prasanna Acharya as the Deputy Leader of the BJD Legislature Party, while another senior MLA Pramila Mallik is the new Chief Whip of the BJD.
The former CM said that Pratap Keshari Deb has been elected as the Deputy Chief Whip of the BJD.
“My party and I will continue working, naturally, for the people of Odisha,” the BJD chief said.
Notably, in the recently held Assembly election, BJP won a majority of 78 seats while BJD secured 51 seats and 14 went to Congress’ kitty. Three Independent and one CPI (M) candidates also won the poll.