Six-time BJP MLA Mohan Singh Bisht was on Thursday elected as the deputy speaker of Delhi Assembly after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta proposed his name.The motion moved by Chief Minister Gupta was seconded by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, while Gajender Singh Yadav backed the second motion proposed by Anil Kumar Sharma.

The Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta also recognised Aami Admi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The decision came days after the AAP appointed Atishi as the LoP.

Veteran BJP leader Bisht (67) won the recent assembly polls from Mustafabad, defeating AAP's Adeel Ahmad Khan by over 17,000 votes.   

Before Mustafabad, Bisht represented the Karawal Nagar seat from 1998 to 2015. He won the seat again in 2020. The maiden session of the eighth Delhi Assembly is presently underway after the BJP's decisive victory in the February 5 elections, ending the AAP's over-a-decade-long rule.   

The BJP secured 48 out of 70 seats, while the AAP was reduced to 22. The Congress drew a blank.

Meanwhile, the Kalkaji MLA has been appointed as Leader of Opposition under Section 2 of the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Act, 2001.

A notification issued by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat National Capital Territory of Delhi on Thursday said, "The Hon'ble Speaker has recognized Smt. Atishi, Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly, who is the Leader of the House of the Party in Opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength, as Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with immediate effect in terms of Section 2 of the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Salary and Allowances) Act, 2001".

Atishi won the Kalka ji assembly seat by defeating BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri in the recently held Delhi assembly elections.