Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), June 17: A crucial meeting of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Legislature Party is scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar on June 19 to elect its leader and deputy leader.
According to sources, the meeting will be held at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, during which the newly elected MLAs of the regional party will choose their leader, who will serve as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Assembly.
The new BJD legislators are also expected to elect a deputy leader of the legislature party.
While there is much speculation surrounding the matter, political observers believe that BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik will be elected as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, marking a first in his extensive political career.
The party will also need to select a deputy leader to handle the day-to-day affairs in the House.
Despite many BJD heavyweights losing the recent Assembly election, some managed to withstand the surge and secure their seats. Sources indicate that one of these successful candidates will be chosen as the deputy to the party supremo.
Among the senior BJD leaders elected are former ministers Prasanna Acharya (Rairakhol), Ranendra Pratap Swain (Athagarh), Arun Sahu (Nayagarh), and Pratap Deb (Aul). Sources suggest that one of these leaders is likely to be appointed to manage the party’s operations in the Assembly alongside 51 other BJD members.
Prasanna Acharya is considered the frontrunner for the deputy leader position, given his seniority among the elected leaders.
