Gulab Chand Kataria chosen Raj assembly LoP

Senior BJP legislator Gulab Chand Kataria was Sunday unanimously chosen as the Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly by the BJP legislature party during a meeting at the party office here.

The 74-year-old was also selected as the leader of the BJP legislature party while seven-time MLA Rajendra Rathore was chosen as his deputy.

Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje proposed the name of Kataria as the leader of BJP legislature party, which was seconded by the party MLAs unanimously.

There was only one proposal for the post, the party's national general secretary Arun Singh told reporters after the meeting.

He said Rathore was chosen as the deputy leader by Kataria.

Kataria, who will also be the pro-tem speaker to conduct the first meeting of the newly elected assembly, is an eight-time MLA and was home minister in the former Vasundhara Raje government.

Kataria was first elected as MLA in 1977, then in 1980. He has won all assembly elections since 1993, remaining a member of the house.

Governor Kalyan Singh will administer him oath of office on Monday.

Rathore has earlier served as the parliamentary affairs minister in the state.

Union HRD minister and party's poll in-charge in the state Prakash Javadekar, national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, party's state president Madan Lal Saini were present in the meeting.