Bengaluru, Nov 18: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed former Deputy Chief Minister and prominent Vokkaliga leader R Ashoka as the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka State Assembly. This decision comes as part of the party’s strategic move to strengthen its representation across key communities in the state.
R Ashoka, a seven-time BJP MLA, has a long-standing political career and has held various significant portfolios, including home, revenue, and transport, under several chief ministers, including BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai. The Vokkaliga community, to which Ashoka belongs, is one of the dominant groups in Karnataka, particularly in the Old Mysuru Region.
The recent appointment of BY Vijayendra, the son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, as the Karnataka BJP President, represents another strategic move by the BJP to expand its influence across different communities in the state. Vijayendra belongs to the Lingayat community, another influential group in Karnataka politics.
In the May 2023 assembly elections, the Congress emerged victorious with 135 seats, leading to the formation of a new government. The BJP secured 66 seats, while the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) won 19 seats. The central leadership of the BJP, including Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam, and former Chief Ministers BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, attended the legislature party meeting where R Ashoka’s appointment was announced.
