The Congress has lost the Leader of Opposition's post in the Odisha Assembly after the High Court order to disqualify party MLA Jogesh Singh and the ball is now in the Speaker's court, senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said on Wednesday.
The number of Congress legislators in the 147-member Odisha Assembly has gone down to 14 after the Sundergarh MLA was disqualified on Tuesday for submitting fake Scheduled Tribe certificate during filing of nomination for the 2014 Assembly elections.
The party needed 15 MLAs to get the Leader of the Opposition status.
"Personally, I am of the view that the Congress has lost the main opposition status since we now hold less than 10 per cent of the Assembly seats," said Mishra, who is the Leader of the Opposition.
"If Jogesh Singh moves the Supreme Court and gets a stay order, there would be a status quo on the Leader of the Opposition post. Otherwise, the Congress will lose the principal opposition party status," said Mishra.
Mishra said the Speaker is the final authority to take a call on it.
Congress had 16 MLAs but the number fell to 15 after Bijepur MLA Subal Sahu died in August last year. Now, Jogesh Singh has been disqualified.
--IANS
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