Former CM Naveen Patanaik elected as leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced that he would be the leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Odisha assembly.

A meeting of the newly elected MLAs of Biju Janta Dal (BJD) was held today in Bhubaneswar. During the meeting, Naveen Patnaik was elected as the leader of the opposition and the leader of the BJD parliamentary party. After the meeting, Patnaik briefed the media and said the decision was taken at the BJD's legislature party meeting. 

"We



had a meeting of the MLAs of the BJD. I congratulated and thanked them. They have elected me as the leader of the opposition and leader of the BJD legislature party," he said.

He also said that senior BJD leader and party MLA Prasanna Acharya was named as the deputy leader of the opposition.

Additionally, former speaker Pramila Mallik would be the chief whip of the opposition in the assembly. Patnaik also named Pratap Keshari Deb as the deputy chief whip of the opposition in the house.