Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa on Wednesday declared BJP the principal Opposition party in the Legislative Assembly, replacing the H D Kumaraswamy-led JD(S). Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar will be the new Opposition leader.
Soon after Governor H R Bhardwaj’s address to the joint session, the Speaker read out a detailed report in the House on the process involving the merger of the KJP with the BJP. The strength of the BJP in the House has gone up to 44 with four KJP MLAs – former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, U B Banakar and Vishwanath Patil – joining the party.
B R Patil and Guru Patil, who have not joined the BJP, will continue to be identified as KJP MLAs in the Assembly. Shettar, who is now the floor leader of the BJP, is likely to formally assume office of the Opposition leader on Thursday. It is said Yeddyurappa was eying the post, but the party is learnt to have declined it. R Ashoka is likely to be the deputy leader.
Kumaraswamy will continue as the JD(S) legislature party leader. Both the JD(S) and the BJP had 40 MLAs each before the merger of KJP with the BJP.
As the JD(S) was ahead of the BJP in terms of vote share secured in the elections, it was given the principal Opposition party status.
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