Slogans like ‘Jai Sri Ram’, ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ were raised in the Jharkhand Assembly on Friday with the BJP legislators demanding Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto to accord leader of opposition (LoP) status to Babulal Marnadi the BJP legislative party leader in House.

As the month long budget session commenced on Friday at new Assembly building, BJP legislator from Bokaro Viranchi Narayan raised the issue demanding the Speaker to accord LoP chair to Marandi. The Speaker replying to MLA said that the House has taken cognizance to MLAs’ demand and will give its reply, however the MLAs were adamant on their demand. The BJP MLAs trooped into the well of the House demanding Speaker to announce BJP legislative party leader Marandi as Leader of Opposition.

The BJP MLAs with their demand entered the well of the house sitting on the floor with their demand. As the Speaker was undeterred with BJP legislators’ demand, the BJP MLA sitting on the floor raised the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. However, the Speaker said that it is not the appropriate time to such demand.

 Few Congress MLAs such Irfan Ansari, Deepika Pandey Singh and others too reached the well of the House opposing BJP lawmakers move.

Marandi was seen sitting in the front row adjacent to AJSU party Chief Sudesh Mahto, which was allotted to him during a special session between January 6 and January 8 soon after the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance won a thumping majority in the Assembly polls in November-December.

The BJP legislators, on request of Speaker, later occupied their chairs with Speaker saying that on the first day of House condolences messages is to be read. The demand for according leader of opposition chair to Marandi was again raised when speaker asked leaders from different political parties to read the condolence messages. Senior BJP leader CP Singh who was asked by Speaker to read the condolence message after Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that as a practice the condolence message is read by leader of the opposition party in the house and as per rule our leader is Babulal Marandi. The Speaker after condolence message adjourned the House till Monday.

Meanwhile, outside the House Marandi said, “I am BJP legislative party leader and will discharge my duties even if I get ground to sit. The BJP will keep on raising public interest issue in the House.”

Congress MLA and Minister Banna Gupta said that the BJP MLAs were unnecessary raising the issue. Gupta said, “Speaker had said that issue will sorted out as per law, but the BJP wants the issue to be sorted out immediately. They should understand that in last Assembly session, Speaker Dinesh Oraon took almost five year to take a final decision on membership of six JVM MLAs who switched side from JVM to BJP.”

BJP MLAs on February 24 unanimously elected Marandi as their Legislature Party Leader after he merged his Jharkhand Vikas Party (Prajatantrik-JVM-P) with the saffron party a week ago in the presence of former BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

A BJP legislature party delegation had also given a letter to the office of the Speaker in favour of Marandi on February 17, when he had merged his party.