BJP chooses MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary as the Leader of the Opposition in the Council

Almost after a gap of seven months, the BJP announced MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary as the Leader of the Opposition in the Council and MLA Arvind Bellad as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. Poojary had been the face of the party in the Council since 2018. His clean image has helped soft-spoken Poojary to secure the position. He served as the leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council in 2018-19 and as the leader of the House in the Council from 2019 to 2023.

Three times MLA Bellad belongs to the Panchmasali community, a powerful Lingayat Sub-Sect in Mumbai-Karnataka. The region comprising six districts sends around 50 representatives to the Assembly. Bellad has been identified with the anti-BS Yediyurappa camp for some time now. Bellad had lobbied strongly to get the leader of the Opposition position. The saffron party has also appointed its MLCs Sunil Vallyapure and N.Ravi Kumar as the Deputy leader of the opposition and Chief Whip in the legislature Council while Kushtagi MLA Doddanagouda G Patil has been named as the Chief Whip in the lower house of Karnataka legislature. These appointments show that the BJP has sought to put an end to the debate over the issue of the North Karnataka region not getting its share in the state leadership hierarchy. BJP State President BY Vijayendra informed that these appointments have been done as per the directions of party national president JP Nadda.