Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Monday appointed former minister Pradipta Kumar Naik as the legislature party leader in the Odisha assembly.
Naik, a four-time MLA from Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district, will also be the Leader of Opposition.
The saffron party has emerged as the second-largest party in the 145-member assembly by securing 23 seats.
The BJP lawmakers, who had met on Sunday to decide their party leader, had authorised the BJP President to select the legislature party leader.