Atishi Appointed Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly

Atishi Appointed Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly: This change in designation came after AAP's recent drubbing at the polls, and also appointed former CM Atishi as the Leader of Opposition at the meeting of its MLAs in the Delhi Assembly.

"I am thankful to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for giving me the responsibility of the legislative party (as LoP). The public has given us the duty of opposition and AAP will show what a strong opposition it is," said AAP MLA Atishi.

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The government of the BJP was formed on Wednesday with the election of Rekha Gupta as the chief minister of Delhi, making her the fourth Woman chief minister in the national capital.

"...In the legislative party meeting today, it has been unanimously decided that Atishi will be the leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly...In challenging times, Atishi has served the people of Delhi as the CM...AAP will fulfil the responsibility of a healthy opposition..." said AAP's Gopal Rai.

Returning to power after 27 years, BJP defeated several high-profile AAP stalwarts, such as Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, Manish Sisodia in Jangpura, and Saurabh Bharadwaj in Greater Kailash: AAP was thrown out of Delhi, having won only 22 out of 70 Assembly seats, as opposed to BJP's 48 seats, in the Assembly elections held on February 5.

The Delhi Assembly will be convened for the first session on February 24. The three-day session will see the ruling BJP government lay CAG reports that are pending against the performance of the former AAP government in the House.

In this three-day session, the House will elect its speaker and deputy speaker. BJP leaders said the party has nominated senior MLAs Vijender Gupta and Mohan Singh Bisht for the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, respectively.

The motion for Gupta to be elected as speaker will be moved by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and seconded by minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on February 24, said Assembly's list of business.

BJP has 48 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly, which guarantees the election of both Gupta and Bisht to the posts. Although the AAP has 22 MLAs, it has not yet named a leader of the opposition, although former chief minister Atishi and the party's Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai are said to be frontrunners for the post.

The second day will be reserved for the Lt Governor's address to the House and for tabling the 14 reports of the CAG. Then discussion on the LG's speech will commence.

The discussion on the motion of thanks will continue on the third day -- February 27. The election of deputy speaker will be held the same day, the bulletin said.

The Assembly secretariat for now notified an order of the LG appointing BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely as the pro-tem speaker.

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The speaker's position will fall vacant immediately before the commencement of the first meeting of the newly constituted Assembly while the post of deputy speaker is already vacant. The pro-tem speaker will perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker from the start of the House meeting until a new speaker is elected.

The new members of the House will take oath before the pro-tem speaker. Each member of the House has been provisionally allotted a seat under Rule 5 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Assembly, said the bulletin.

A member who is unable to make and subscribe oath or affirmation on February 24, may do so on any subsequent sitting of the Assembly after giving advance information to the House secretary, it said.

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