BJP Appoints Former DyCM R Ashoka As Leader Of Opposition In Karnataka Assembly

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Friday, November 17, appointed R Ashoka, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Assembly.

A legislature party meeting was held prior the announcement of Ashoka becoming the LoP. Those present included Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam, BJP state unit president B Y Vijayendra, and former chief ministers B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai.

Ashoka, a multiple-term BJP MLA (7), previously served as the deputy chief minister in the BJP government from July 2012 to May 2013. Having worked alongside five different chief ministers in various capacities, he held key portfolios such as home, revenue, municipal administration, transport, and health and family welfare.

Within the party, Ashoka is recognized as a prominent Vokkaliga face, representing one of the influential communities in Karnataka.

Ashoka's appointment follows that of Shikaripura MLA B Y Vijayendra as the state unit president of the BJP. Vijayendra, the son of B S Yediyurappa, belongs to the Lingayat community, another dominant group in Karnataka.

In the preceding May elections for the 224-member assembly, the Congress seized power with an overwhelming victory, securing 135 seats. The BJP, in contrast, won 66 seats, while the JD(S) managed to secure 19.

This reshuffling of leadership in the BJP indicates a move to rebuild the party in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.