Rahul Gandhi not keen on LoP role, but Congress hopeful

New Delhi, June 17

The meeting of top Congress brass at the residence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday ended the mystery on which seat Rahul Gandhi will vacate, but deepened the mystery on whether Rahul will be the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Sources said the matter was not discussed today even though it was on the agenda apart from a decision on whether Rahul should keep Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh or Wayanad in Kerala. He won both seats with comfortable margins.

Sources said the Congress leaders were still hopeful Rahul would assume the mantle of Leader of Opposition in the Lower House, where the Congress will get this official recognition after a gap of 10 years. “Congress leaders are still hopeful that Rahul will accept this role. Discussions on the issue will be held over the coming days,” a top Congress source said.

The five-term Lok Sabha MP, Congress sources said, was the most qualified for the LS Leader of Opposition role “having taken on PM Narendra Modi from the front.”

Rahul, meanwhile, has been keen on ground outreaches through Bharat Jodo Yatra with sections in the party saying he may not be inclined to be tied down to the LS post which will demand a lot of time and attention. Whether Rahul accepts the responsibility is up to him, leaders said.