Former Dy CM R Ashoka elected Opposition leader in Karnataka

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

R Ashoka was on Friday elected Opposition leader of the Karnataka Assembly after the party delayed a decision for six months.

Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai proposed his name, while other MLAs endorsed the choice.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP national general secretary Dishyant Kumar Gaurav attended the meeting as central observers, while BJP veteran leader BS Yediyurappa also participated.

Two MLAs ST Somashekar and Shivarama Hebbar, however, skipped the meeting.

• All
• Madhya Pradesh
• Rajasthan
• Telangana
• Chhattisgarh
• Mizoram

• Madhya Pradesh sees 71.16 pc polling, voter turn out 68.15 pc in Chhattisgarh

  BJP scattered in Rajasthan, doesn't have CM face: Cong leader Priyanka Gandhi

  An election between 'Dorala Telangana' and 'Prajala Telangana': Rahul Gandhi fires fresh salvo at KCR

  MP polls: Digvijaya seeks 'strict action' against MP Home Minister over his Pakistan remark

• The 66-year old new Opposition leader represents Padmanabhanagar in Bengaluru and also served as a deputy CM earlier.
  
  The party had drawn flak ever since the Congress regime assumed office on May 20 as the BJP prolonged a decision on both the State BJP President and the Opposition leader.
  
  Only last week did the party name BY Vijayendra (48) as the State Unit president. He is the son of Yediyurappa and comes from the Lingayat community, which is also Karnataka's largest community. Ever since the position was decided, political observers predicted that the party would either name a Vokkaliga leader or an OBC leader for the Opposition leader's post. Ashoka, a former deputy CM, is a Vokkaliga, which is also the State's second largest community
  
  Ashoka will now have to shoulder