AAP's H S Phoolka is leader of opposition in Punjab assembly

NEW DELHI: Just a day before Congress’ Captain Amarinder Singh is expected to take oath as Punjab’s chief minister, the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday elected party veteran HS Phoolka as its leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

Supreme Court advocate Phoolka, 60, was in the running along with other senior party leaders Kanwar Sandhu and Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

The announcement was made by Punjab convener Gurpreet Ghuggi after a meeting of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal with all 20 elected MLAs of the party in Delhi. The party’s allies, the Bains brothers from Ludhiana, were also present at the meeting.

Khaira, AAP’s MLA from Bholath, formerly from the Congress, has been elected as the chief whip, Ghuggi said. The party will keep a close watch on all decisions taken by the newly-elected Congress government in Punjab, Phoolka said.

“The idea is to play the role of a constructive and active opposition,” he said.