BJP attends Assembly session without legislature party leader in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The budget session of the Karnataka Legislature began on Monday with the BJP yet to announce its leader in the lower house, and the ruling Congress taking a swipe at the main opposition in the State Assembly.

Following its loss to the Congress in the May elections, the BJP is yet to pick its leader in the Assembly, with its central leaders weighing their options.

BJP president J P Nadda has appointed Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and party general secretary Vinod Tawde as central observers for the election of the leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly.

The central observers are expected to come to Bengaluru on Tuesday, BJP sources said. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is one of the contenders as the BJP deliberates on whether it should stick to the old guard or put faith in a new leader while balancing the caste equation in the state.

In the elections to the 224-member Assembly, the Congress swept to power with 135 seats while the BJP won 66 and the JD(S) 19.

The observers will gather the opinion of BJP legislators and submit a report to the party high command, former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is also the party’s parliamentary board member, told reporters in Delhi on late Sunday night after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Nadda.

He added that based on the opinions gathered by the observer, the party will decide the legislative party leader, who will be the leader of the opposition.

In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: “The Budget session of the Karnataka Assembly starts today. For the first time since 1952 both in the state and in the country too, the session begins without the main opposition in this case the BJP announcing its legislature leader.” “This BJP is loud when it wins but crumbles and croaks when it loses,” he said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah commented that the BJP not having elected the leader of opposition in the Assembly shows there is groupism in the outfit, and dubbed it the “most indisciplined” political party.