Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma will be the leader of the House in legislative Council. Sharma, who is not a member of either House at present, was Mayor of lucknow prior to his elevation as Deputy CM on March 19. He will have to obtain membership of the Council within six months from the date of induction in UP Cabinet. An official notification designating Sharma as leader of the Upper House was issued.
Another Deputy CM, Keshav Maurya is also not a member of either House and was earlier lok Sabha MP from Kaushambi. He too was tipped to be in the race for post of leader of the legislative Council.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was a lok Sabha MP before taking up the new assignment and akin to Sharma and Maurya, Yogi will also have to obtain membership of either House of UP legislature before September 19.
Senior Samajwadi Party MlC Ahmed Hasan would be leader of the Opposition and BSP leader Sunil Chittor has replaced Naseemuddin Siddiqui as leader of the BSP in the Upper House.
Dinesh Singh of Congress will be the leader of his party which has two members in the Council.