Raipur, Aug 17 (PTI) Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday appointed its three-time MLA Narayan Chandel as the new legislative party leader in the state assembly, replacing Dharamlal Kaushik.
Both Chandel (57) and Kaushik (64) belong to Kurmi caste, a numerically powerful Other Backward Class (OBC) community in the state.
Chandel, a legislator from Janjgir-Champa constituency, was appointed as the BJP’s legislative party leader by party MLAs during the legislative party meeting held here at Kushabhau Thakre Parisar, state BJP office, a leader from the opposition party said.
Chandel will be the leader of opposition in place of Kaushik, he said.
BJP’s state in-charge D Purandeswari was present at the meeting, he added.
Ahead of the assembly polls in Chhattisgarh next year, the BJP has changed its Leader of Opposition and the state unit chief this month. Last week, the party had appointed MP Arun Sao, an OBC leader, as its state chief, replacing prominent tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai.
Chandel, who started his political career in early 1990s, had served as the Deputy Speaker of state assembly in 2010-11 during the Raman Singh government’s second term from 2008 to 2013.
He was first elected as an MLA in the undivided Madhya Pradesh assembly in 1998.
According to political experts, the BJP’s move to pick an OBC leader as the state unit chief and continue with the OBC face for the post of leader of opposition seems is aimed at focussing the community that constitutes a major portion of the state population and considerably influences poll outcomes. PTI TKP NP NP
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