Leader of Opposition appointment before Belagavi assembly session?

Bengaluru: The intricacies of political alliances and shifting caste dynamics within the BJP have spurred growing calls for the appointment of a Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The second Assembly session, slated to be held in Belagavi this December, has intensified the urgency of this demand among the BJP cadre.

Since the formation of the new government nearly six months ago, the opposition BJP has yet to designate its Legislative Party Leader. This delay has fuelled concerns among party MLAs, who now apprehend the prospect of facing the Congress-led government in the upcoming Belagavi Assembly session without a designated opposition leader. In response to this concern, BJP legislators have called upon former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to exert pressure on the party's central leadership to expedite the necessary appointment.

In response to the requests of a group of BJP MLAs, Yediyurappa convened a meeting with party leaders to deliberate on various strategies. Earlier on Thursday, Yediyurappa made a comeback, engaged with reporters and directed his criticism towards the Congress-led government.

During this crucial meeting, sources suggest that BJP MLAs voiced their anxiety to Yediyurappa and urged him to apply pressure on the party's central leadership to appoint the Leader of Opposition before the second Assembly session in Belagavi. According to reports, legislators conveyed their discomfort with the prospect of facing the Congress's jibes and ridicule over the absence of opposition leaders in both houses, like it happened last time.

In response, Yediyurappa reportedly assured the BJP MLAs that he would communicate their concerns to the central leaders. The race for the Leader of Opposition post has been marked by shifting dynamics, particularly after the alliance with the JDS.

While former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was initially considered the best candidate for the position, his current convalescence following surgery has muddied the waters. This time around, the BJP leadership is likely to reconsider newer potential candidates.

As the BJP navigates through this political transition, the urgency to appoint a Leader of Opposition looms large, setting the stage for potential recalibrations within the party's leadership.