Mata Prasad Pandey is a veteran legislator who has served twice as Speaker
Samajwadi Party leader Mata Prasad Pandey has been named Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly after Akhilesh Yadav was elected to Lok Sabha in the recently held general election.
The 81-year-old veteran leader represents Itwa constituency in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district. A seven-time MLA, he has served as Speaker of the Assembly for two terms.
Former state minister and Kanth MLA Kamal Akhtar has been named the chief whip of Samajwadi Party in the Assembly and Rakesh Kumar Verma, MLA from Raniganj, is now the deputy whip.
The position of Leader of Opposition had fallen vacant after party chief and incumbent Akhilesh Yadav was elected to Lok Sabha from Kannauj parliamentary constituency.