Bhubaneswar, Jul 30 (IANS): Four-time MLA and former minister Jayanarayan Mishra will be the new Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Odisha Legislative Assembly, the BJP announced on Saturday.

The party's state co-in-charge Vijay Pal Singh has made the announcement here at a press conference.

Mishra will replace Pradipta Kumar Naik, who is under treatment in New Delhi following post-Covid complications. Due to his illness, Naik has not been able to attend the house for a long period and he has resigned from the post, Singh said.

"Under the instruction of our central leadership, I came here and conveyed a meeting of the BJP legislature party. BJP chief whip in the assembly, Mohan Majhi has proposed the name of Mishra for the post, which was unanimously agreed by all other MLAs," he said.

Thanking the BJP MLAs and central leadership for imposing faith on him, Mishra said that the party will play role of a constructive opposition in the house.

"(We) Will work to bring all the wrong doing of the BJD government before the public. The BJP legislature party will work as the voice of Odisha people in the assembly," he said.

Mishra, a MLA from Sambalpur assembly constituency, has served as deputy chief whip during 2000 to 2004 and commerce & transport minister (2004-09) during the BJD-BJP alliance government.

At present, the BJP has 22 members and Congress has nine in the 147-seated Odisha assembly. A formal announcement about the appointment will be made in the assembly after receiving official communication from the party, sources said.