As Advani is the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, he will be the Leader of Opposition in the lower house.
The BJP, already facing problems in deciding candidates for various positions in parliament, is now in a fix also over a post it was relatively clear about: the post of Lok Sabha deputy speaker for its Indore MP, Sumitra Mahajan.
It had hoped to get mileage by having a woman from the party as the deputy speaker, while it sorted out the posts for deputy leader of opposition and senior leader LK Advani’s successor.
The Congress choice of Meira Kumar as speaker complicated matters and the BJP is not sure it wants Mahajan for the post.
At the meeting on Sunday, the BJP parliamentary party chose Advani as its leader for both houses, as well as leader of opposition in Lok Sabha. It also authorised him to choose and nominate the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha and deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Senior leader Sushma Swaraj said the issue of choosing a name for deputy speaker would also be taken up later. No names were considered at the meeting, she said. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said it would be Advani’s decision.
Having made up its mind initially to keep the post of Lok Sabha deputy speaker for Mahajan rather than let it go to an NDA partner, if the UPA offered it to the opposition, the BJP has now decided to put it on hold. Its problem is finding someone of the required stature, experience and acceptability.
A senior leader hinted the matter could be taken up at a meeting of NDA to sort out the issue.
The BJP is already facing problems from its NDA partner JD(U) whose leaders’ statements have put their relations under fresh strain. At the end of its national executive meet on Sunday, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav repeated the charge of the BJP election campaign damaging the JD(U) and NDA prospects and went to the extent of saying that “the nature of the alliance [with BJP] has changed”.
Without naming Advani or holding him responsible, Yadav also said the NDA campaign lacked the magic that Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership had created.
The JD(U) executive meet saw several leaders attacking the BJP and expressing resentment against the tie up with the party.
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