When there is no ruling party can there be an Opposition? Then, why have Dharam Singh and H K Patil not relinquished their posts as leaders of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Council respectively?

This was the query posed by BJP State Secretary and MLA C T Ravi on Thursday. Addressing a press conference in Bangalore, Ravi charged that Singh and Patil were enjoying all the privileges and perks provided to the post of leader of the opposition (equivalent to that provided to a Cabinet rank minister) despite president’s rule in the State.

Ravi demanded the Speaker of the Assembly and Chairman of the Council to intervene and direct Singh and Patil to immediately surrender all the perks provided to them.

Official version

When contacted, sources in the Speaker’s office said the post of leader of the Opposition continues till the Assembly is dissolved. “Cabinet ministers, chief whip, parliamentary secretaries are appointed by the chief minister. When the chief minister resigns, all his political appointees automatically go. But, it is not the same in case of posts like leader of the Opposition,” the sources said.

Dharam reacts

Later, while speaking to reporters, Dharam Singh countered the BJP MLA’s charges and passed the buck on to the Speaker of the Assembly.

“I was appointed by the Speaker as the Leader of the Opposition. let him (Ravi) go and speak to the Speaker about his charges,” he said.

Singh said that he was not a politician who would cling on to power to avail administrative incentives and pointed out that he had quit the CM’s office in 2006 when trouble started brewing between the Congress and the JD(S).