Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has appointed Mata Prasad Pandey as the Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Other candidates considered for the role included Indrajit Saroj, Ram Achal Rajbhar, and Toofani Saroj, but SP chief Akhilesh Yadav chose Pandey, a Brahmin leader from Purvanchal, as his successor in the Assembly.

Previously, the Samajwadi Party held a meeting with its MLAs, where they decided to leave the selection of the Leader of Opposition to their national president. Akhilesh Yadav ultimately selected Mata Prasad Pandey, a former Speaker of the Assembly. Additionally, the SP has appointed Mehboob Ali as the Chairman of the Board, Kamal Akhtar as the Chief Whip, and Rakesh Kumar, also known as RK Verma, as the Deputy Whip.

Mata Prasad Pandey, currently representing the Itwa constituency in Siddharthnagar, has served twice as the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. He will assume his new role as Leader of Opposition on Monday. Initially, it was speculated that Akhilesh Yadav might choose a candidate from a backward community, following his PDA (Pasi-Dalit-Backward) formula. However, Pandey, who is considered close to Akhilesh Yadav, has been given this significant responsibility.

Akhilesh Yadav previously held the position of Leader of Opposition while serving as an MLA from Karhal in Mainpuri. After winning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj, he transitioned to national politics in Delhi, resigning from the Karhal seat and his Assembly position. There was speculation that Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh's uncle, might take on the role, but the SP's focus on appealing to the backward communities led to the consideration of other candidates before finalizing Pandey.

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