Insight Bureau:  Odisha unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday announced former Minister and Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra as the Leader of the party in Odisha Assembly, informed Odisha BJP’s co-incharge Vijaypal Singh Tomar at a presser.

Jayanarayan Mishra will be the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.

BJP MLA Mohan Majhi will head the Public Accounts Committee, informed Jayanarayan Mishra.

As the senior BJP MLA from Bhawanipatna and former Minister Pradipta Kumar Naik is still being treated in Delhi due to post COVID-19 complications, BJP was forced to appoint a new Leader in the Assembly.

The Leader of Opposition with the status of a Cabinet Minister enjoys the status next to the Chief Minister, the leader of the House.

Jayanarayan Mishra is a four-time legislator from Sambalpur constituency. He was a Minister of State in the BJD-BJP coalition Government from 2004 to 2008, and handled portfolios of commerce and transport, labour and employment.