Gaya MLA Prem to be leader of opposition in Bihar assembly

PATNA: BJP’s seven-time Gaya MLA Prem Kumar would be the leader of opposition in the new state assembly, with the party’s newly elected MLAs on Sunday unanimously selecting him as their legislature party leader.
Leader of opposition in the last assembly, Nand Kishore Yadav proposed Prem’s name for the post in the presence of party’s central observer and Union minister Ananth Kumar, co-observer and general secretary Anil Jain, general secretary and in charge of the party’s Bihar affairs Bhupender Yadav and co-incharges Pawan Sharma and C R Patil.
Former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi would continue to lead the BJP legislature party. Ananth said Nand Kishore would be given a “responsibility” in the party’s central organization.
By selecting Prem, an extremely backward class (EBC) man of ‘kahar’ (traditional palanquin bearers) caste, for the post, the party hopes to reach out to EBCs, who account for around 30% of state population. The shift of this group’s vote to the grand alliance gave it massive victory in the recent elections and reduced the BJP to 53 MLAs from 91 it had won in 2010.
Prem was minister in Nitish-led NDA government for seven-and-a-half years, heading such departments as PHED, urban development and road construction.
In his felicitation speech, Prem said, “I belong to a humble family. With the new responsibility given to me, I shall pursue the cause of people, chase the government on their issues, and also strive to strengthen and expand the base of the party.” State BJP chief Mangal Pandey presided over the meeting.
Nand Kishore said he had volunteered to quit the post of leader of BJP legislature party – and, thereby, leader of opposition – that he had held since June 16, 2013, the day CM Nitish Kumar snapped JD(U)-BJP ties and dismantled the NDA government.