Opp leader to be elected on June 1

The BJP will elect the leader of the Opposition for the 14th Lok Sabha on June 1, a day ahead of the convening of the new Parliament.

According to sources, LK Advani will be elected leader of the Opposition, while former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be elected leader of the BJP parliamentary party.

The party today went on an offensive over the infighting within the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre.

According to party leader Arun Jaitley, the office of the Prime Minister was being seriously undermined by the fact that the DMK had been promised certain portfolios by persons other than the Prime Minister.

"It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to allot portfolios, if the DMK can flash around letters of agreement over portfolio distribution, then this seriously undermines the dignity of the Prime Minister's Office," said Jaitley.

He was referring to a written agreement between DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and Janardhan Reddy, the Congress leader who convinced the DMK into joining the government.

DMK ministers, including Cabinet minister Dayanidhi Maran, had been refusing to take charge of their offices as the shipping and revenue portfolios had not been allotted to them as promised. "It is very clear that there are centres of power outside the government," said Jaitley.

"By producing the written agreement, the DMK has not left even a fig leaf to cover the breach of the Prime Minister's authority," added Jaitley.

The BJP also stepped up its attack on the induction of chargesheeted persons in the council of ministers. Former Information and Broadcasting Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad raised the issue of giving ministerial berths to persons with criminal records.

"At least five ministers in the present Cabinet have criminal cases against them, including Laloo Prasad Yadav, Mohammad Taslimuddin, Mohammad Fatimi and Jayprakash Narayan Yadav," said Prasad.