NEW DELHI: L.K. Advani on Friday became chairman of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s parliamentary wing leading to his simultaneous exit as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a position now taken by Sushma Swaraj.

The post was especially created for Advani when party president Rajnath Singh moved an amendment to the party’s parliamentary constitution.

It was adopted unanimously by 112 party members of both Houses of Parliament present at the Parliament Annexe where a special meeting of the parliamentary party was called.

It was then proposed that Advani be made chairman and the proposal was approved with the thumping of desks and clapping of hands.

With this, his position as the Leader of the Opposition stands vacated. And Advani, as chairman, nominated Sushma Swaraj as the Leader of the Opposition.

He also re-nominated Arun Jaitley as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Rajnath Singh offered “laddus” to the two and others presented them with garlands and bouquets.

With Advani’s exit as the Leader of the Opposition, the entire parliamentary team of office-bearers stood disbanded. This necessitated the re-nomination of Jaitley.

The positions of deputy leaders of the party in the two Houses – till Friday held by Swaraj and S.S. Ahluwalia – and other positions will be filled in a few days.