Congress picks Rahul Gandhi as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, June 25

Setting all speculations to rest, the Congress on Tuesday announced the appointment of Raebareli MP Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in the newly constituted Lok Sabha.

In a brief announcement, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), has written a letter to Pro tem Speaker of Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahtab “about the decision of appointment of Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha”.

“Other office-bearers will be decided later on,” Venugopal told reporters outside Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence shortly after a meeting of INDIA bloc parties regarding the contentious Speaker’s election tomorrow.

The Opposition parties have already made it clear that the Congress being the largest of them has the right to stake claim for the Leader of Opposition post.

Sonia Gandhi, who was re-elected CPP chairperson on June 8 by MPs of both Houses, was empowered to choose the leaders of the Congress in both Houses. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, will continue on the post.

Earlier, at a meeting of the Extended Congress Working Committee on June 8, a resolution was unanimously passed requesting Rahul Gandhi to take up the job of LoP. Gandhi, at that time, said he would think about the proposal.

In the 16th and 17th Lok Sabha, the Congress did not have adequate number of representatives to stake a claim to the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the House.

However, with 99 seats in the Congress’ kitty in the 18th Lok Sabha, and the strength of the combined Opposition being an impressive 230 MPs, pressure was growing on Rahul Gandhi to assume the position of the Leader of the Opposition.

Acceptance of the LoP post amounts to making a strong statement by the 54-year-old Congress leader that he has come of age and is ready to take up major responsibilities.