After the Lok Sabha election, the Congress had passed a single-line resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, party general secretary KC Venugopal announced on Tuesday.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote a letter to pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab informing him about Rahul Gandhi’s appointment as the LoP in the lower house of Parliament.
With this decision, Rahul Gandhi finally bites the bullet in taking up this role, as he would now get the status of a cabinet minister’s rank. This will also enhance his position in the protocol list and could be a natural claimant to the post of prime minister of the opposition bloc. This will be the first constitutional position that Rahul Gandhi would hold in his long political career of over two-and-a-half decades.
Gandhi as the LoP of Lok Sabha would also be a member of important panels on key appointments of Lokpal, CBI chief, Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, besides the selection of Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission and the NHRC chief. The prime minister heads all such panels.
Rahul Gandhi, who turned 54 last week, is the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He has been an MP for five terms and currently represents the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha, previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi.
Though he won from two constituencies — Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, he resigned from the Wayanad constituency, from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would now contest. Rahul Gandhi entered politics in 2004 when he won for the first time from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier today, the lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli took oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. The Congress leader held up a copy of the Constitution during the oath-taking and ended his oath with “Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan” chants.
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This will be the first time in ten years that there will be a Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as the Congress, which won 99 seats, is now entitled to the post. After the Lok Sabha election, the Congress had passed a single-line resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
REAX POUR IN AFTER RAHUL GANDHI NAMED LOP
BJP leader Amit Malviya took a jibe a the former Congress chief over his LoP appointment, calling him “third time fail”.
“On the eve of I.N.D.I Alliance’s first defeat (in the 18th Lok Sabha) on the floor of the House, Congress has announced Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition. Something surreal about the impeccable timing…”
On the other hand, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that he is confident that Rahul Gandhi, who has traversed the length and breadth of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and from Manipur to Maharashtra shall raise the voice of the people, especially the marginalised and the poor.
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said that Rahul Gandhi will be a bold voice for the common people of India and ensure that the NDA government is held firmly accountable at all times.
Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK supremo M K Stalin said, “INDIA welcomes my dear brother Rahul Gandhi to his new role!” “May his voice continue to roar strongly in the House of the People (Lok Sabha),” he said.
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “A moment of pride and happiness for all of us. The strong voice of the countrymen, Mr. Rahul Gandhi ji will be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Congratulations to everyone. Best wishes to Shri Rahul ji.” Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari, while congratulating Gandhi, said, “Finally, you heard the voices of all Lok Sabha members and Congressmen. The voices of the people, which were being crushed, will now eco in the Parliament fearlessly through you.” Another Congress leader Manickam Tagore thanked Rahul Gandhi for accepting the post and listening to the voice of several party leaders. He also termed him as the “people’s leader”.
“Congress is the largest member of the INDIA bloc. They won 99 seats in Lok Sabha polls 2024, and Rahul Gandhi played a key role in it. We are glad that he has been appointed as Leader of Opposition,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said.
WHY WAS THERE NO LOP IN LOK SABHA FOR LAST 10 YEARS?
The post of Leader of the Opposition has remained vacant since 2014, as no opposition party has managed to secure 10 per cent of the seats.
Following the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) defeat in 2014, the Grand Old Party was reduced to 44 seats in the Lok Sabha.
After the 2014 debacle, the ruling BJP government, through the appointed Speaker, declined to recognise the Congress party’s leader as the Leader of Opposition.
In 2019, although the Congress improved its seat tally slightly, it still fell short of the required 54 seats to claim the LoP position.
