BJP appoints R Ashoka as Opposition leader in Karnataka Assembly

BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced the appointment of former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.

Following his appointment by senior leaders and the state chief at the BJP legislature party meeting held in Bengaluru, Ashoka thanked the party leadership and the MLAs present in the meeting. “I thank you for electing me as the Leader of the Opposition. The BJP will win all 28 constituencies in the state in the Lok Sabha elections”, he said.

Addressing the gathering, Ashoks said, “I will work taking everyone into confidence and with the cooperation of all. I will work with love and trust and without any feeling of hatred”.

Speaking to the media after the legislative party meeting, Ashok said that he has been selected as the leader as per the party leadership’s directive and with the cooperation of all. “Although I have been elected leader of the opposition, all 66 MLAs are leaders. You all are my leaders. All 66 MLAs were Leaders of Opposition in the last session during which 10 people were suspended”, he recalled.

“I will work with the guidance of  former CMs B S Yediyurappa and cooperation of  Basavaraj Bommai. Let us leave behind the feeling of defeat, the lotus will bloom again. We have the task of Lok Sabha elections, BBMP and local body elections. I have fought for 40 years. I went to jail for opposing Indira Gandhi. Now, we have great leadership like Narendra Modi”, he added.

“In the last six months, the Congress government is steeped in corruption. The CM’s son is involved in the transfer mafia. We will will all 28 Lok Sabha seats including Kanakapura and Bengaluru constituencies. Let’s start out fight in the Belagavi session”, Ashoka said.

“Let’s work under the guidance of elders. Let’s work on the principle of ‘Sab ka saath… Sab ka Vikas’ as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has guided us. Let’s get rid of the corrupt Congress and work to bring the BJP back to power in Karnataka”, Ashoka said. He also thanked all those who voted for him as opposition leader.

R Ashoka is an seven-time MLA from Padmanabhanagar constituency. He also held the Revenue portfolio in the previous BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai in Karnataka.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai congratulated R Ashoka on his appointment and said that he is a very senior leader and a strong opposition leader who has been appointed by the party. “It was a unanimous choice. He is a senior leader. I congratulate him, I am very happy. He has contributed to all struggles of the party”, the former Karnataka CM said.

In the Assembly elections held in May this year, the Congress registered victory in 135 seats and BJP managed to secure 66 seats in a 224-member Assembly. The state witnessed voting percentage of 72.68 per cent.