BJP appoints Joshi, Chugh as central observers

Jammu, Oct 13: The Parliamentary Board of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and National General Secretary Tarun Chugh as Central Observers for the election of its Legislative party leader in Jammu and Kashmir.

This was notified by BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh on Sunday evening.

“A meeting of newly elected BJP MLAs will take place tomorrow at 11 am in the presence of Central Observers, who will reach here in the morning. It is very likely that they (MLAs) elect the Legislative Party leader in this meeting only,” BJP’s Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi said while responding to Greater Kashmir’s queries about meeting schedule and agenda.

“Last minute change in schedule (or agenda) vis-a-vis election of leader cannot be ruled out as final call is to be taken by the central observers of the party. However, their meeting with newly elected MLAs is scheduled for tomorrow morning,” Sethi said.

BJP’s Legislative Party leader will be the Leader of Opposition in J&K’s Legislative Assembly.

In any case, the party is likely to take a call before October 16 – the likely date for the oath ceremony of the newly elected Congress-NC alliance government.  

While the party (BJP) leaders did not give any clue about the choice for “Leader of Opposition” asserting that newly elected MLAs in the presence of central observers would decide it in the meeting; political experts believed that MLA from Padder-Nagseni Sunil Sharma and MLA from Nagrota Devender Rana would be the front-runners for this critical post.

“They are the senior-most and experienced as well in the elected lot,” experts point out.

BJP bagged 29 seats in just concluded assembly elections, thus emerging as the main opposition party.