BJP exploring option of appointing new party leader in Chhattisgarh assembly

The BJP is exploring the option of appointing a new leader of the party in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, after the Raman Singh government faced a drubbing in the recent elections.

The BJP had bagged only 15 seats in the 90-member Assembly. Singh had an uninterrupted 15-year rule in the state from 2003 to 2018 to become the longest serving chief minister from the BJP.

Sources, both at the Centre and in Raipur, said the party leaders are contemplating appointment of a new experienced leader who will become the leader of opposition (LoP).

Former ministers Brijmohan Agrawal and Ajay Chandrakar seem to be front-runners for the post of leader of opposition. There are two other key contenders, tribal leader Nankiram Kanwar and Shivratan Sharma.

Agrawal, the senior-most among all contenders and a seventh-time MLA, served as minister in the previous three BJP governments in the state and also once in undivided Madhya Pradesh.

Besides, Chandrakar, a fourth time MLA, had served as minister twice in the BJP government in the state (2003-2008 and 2013-2018).

While Kanwar, a sixth time MLA had served as the home minister during Raman Singh government (2008-2013), Sharma is a third time MLA.

"The legislative party leader will be elected by January 2 or 3 as the new Assembly session is scheduled to be held from January 4," Shivratan Sharma, who is also the party's state spokesperson, told PTI.

The party's central observers will visit Raipur to finalise the candidate for the post after discussing it with elected MLAs, he said.

However, it has not been decided yet who will come from Delhi as the party's central observer, he added.

When asked whether the party's choice for the post would be in view of the next year Lok Sabha polls, Sharma said the party had won 10 out of 11 Lok Sabha seats last time and this time the strategy will be to win all 11.

The Congress had registered a landslide victory in Chhattisgarh polls, winning 68 seats in the 90-member assembly.

The BJP, which was in power since 2003 in the state, was reduced to 15 seats ,while former chief minister Ajit Jogi-led Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) managed to win five seats. Jogi's ally Bahujan Samaj Party won two seats.