Kolkata: Two novice BJP MPs, who likewise contested and won the Assembly election in West Bengal, have actually not taken their oath as MLAs obviously in worry of losing their berths in the Lok Sabha.

They are Nishith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar.Their unforeseen relocation, that has raised eyebrows within the BJP, came at a time primary minister Mamata Banerjee's protege-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as a strong competitor for the post of the Leader of the Opposition, racing ahead of another frontrunner, Mukul Roy, the national vice-president of the party.

While Mr Pramanik is an MP of Cooch Behar in North Bengal, Mr Sarkar is an MP of Ranaghat in Nadia.

Fielded together with 3 other MPs-- Babul Supriyo, a Union minister, Locket Chatterjee and Swapan Dasgupta-- by their party in the Assembly polls, Mr Pramanik won from Dinhata in the district and Mr Sarkar was chosen at Ranaghat while the other three lost.They were, nevertheless, conspicuous by their lack at the oath-taking ceremony for MLAs in the Assembly on May 7, unlike most of the 77 winning candidates of their celebration.

This immediately sustained speculation about their objectives.

Sources said the two have actually asked for the party's management to allow them to continue as Lok Sabha MPs than as MLAs.

The celebration has not taken a decision on them yet, as both have six months' time to select among the 2 posts.

If Mr Pramanik and Mr Sarkar decide to remain as MPs, the BJP's tally of MLAs will decrease to 75 from 77, with byelections being held for their Assembly seats.Similarly, if they choose to take the oath as MLAs later, the BJP's tally of MPs in the state will reduce from 18 to 16, with their Lok Sabha seats up for byelections too.Mr Suvendu Adhikari, meanwhile, seems the BJP's preferred face as Leader of the Opposition to handle the Trinamul Congress supremo in the Assembly.

The most significant benefit that has actually put Mr Adhikari ahead of Mr Roy in the competition for the post is his success as a giant killer in defeating the TMC chief at Nandigram, although by a narrow margin.

Understood for his strong speech, Mr Adhikari also has been credited with more years of experience in acting as an MLA, at least twice, than Mr Roy, who has become an MLA for the very first time in his life by winning from Krishnanagar North in Nadia.

Besides, his past links with the RSS in school life and the support of a minimum of 50 BJP MLAs for him are seen as his plus points, according to sources.On the other hand, Mr Roy, who was initially thought about an ideal face for the post with the support of a section of BJP central leaders, fulfilled a senior TMC leader in the Assembly on Might 7 but avoided the very first conference of the recently chosen MLAs in the Assembly and declared that he would make his stand clear later.

This quickly triggered speculation about his possible return to the TMC.

Mr Roy however tweeted on Saturday: My battle would continue as a soldier of BJP to bring back democracy in our state.

I would ask for everybody to put the concoctions and conjectures to rest.

I am undaunted in my political course.

Judging the scenario, the BJP parliamentary board has selected two central observers-- Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and BJP basic secretary Bhupendra Yadav-- for the election of Leader of the Opposition in the state.