Vajpayee to be Leader of Opposition

Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in New Delhi on Thursday.

Emerging from an hour-long Cabinet meeting, she said Vajpayee would be the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the National Democratic Alliance.

At the meeting, initially presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, a resolution was adopted lauding Vajpayee's performance as prime minister.

Later, Vajpayee addressed the meeting and said he would call on President A P J Abdul Kalam in the evening and submit his resignation, Swaraj said.

Twelve ministers, including Defence Minister and NDA convener George Fernandes, attended the meeting, she said.