Narasingha likely to become Leader of Opposition

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra is likely to be elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party to play the role of Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly.Mishra’s formal election as leader of the 16-member Congress Legislature Party at a meeting that was scheduled to be held at the Congress Bhavan here on June 11, a day before the commencement of the budget session of the State Assembly.All-India Congress Committee has appointed party’s senior leader Ajay Maken as observer to attend the meeting of the party’s 16 newly elected legislators.Mishra, who had been to Mumbai for medical treatment, was likely to return to the city to attend the meeting on June 11.He has elected to the State Assembly from Balangir Assembly seat by defeating senior Biju Janata Dal leader A.U.Singh Deo.Mishra had served as the Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the State Assembly from 2004-2009.He was first elected to the Assembly in 1990 and served as the Law Minister in the Biju Patnaik Government.Congress had performed badly in the recently held elections winning only 16 seats in the 147-member State Assembly.The party had won 27 seats in 2009 election.The ruling BJD has 117 legislators in the current Assembly, while Bharatiya Janata Party has 10 members, Samata Kranti Dal and Communist Party of India have one member each and there were two Independents.