After Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo took over as the state unit President of the BJP in Odisha, former minister Jayanarayan Mishra was appointed as the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in Odisha Assembly.

Mr. Mishra, who is a three-time MLA from Sambalpur, held Commerce and Transport portfolios in the BJD-BJP government from 2004 to 2008. The BJP has just six members in the 147-member Odisha Assembly.

Meanwhile, the differences within the BJP re-surfaced yesterday after senior party leader Juel Oram skipped the meeting called by Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo to discuss the strategies of the party for 2014. Another Senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra too did not attend the meeting, as he was away in Delhi.