Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was on Tuesday appointed as the Leader of Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha. The Congress party has conveyed this decision to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. The announcement in this regard came after a meeting of the INDIA bloc's floor leaders at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
K C Venugopal, AICC General Secretary (Organisation), informed the media that Sonia Gandhi, the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), had informed the Pro-tem Speaker of the party's decision.
"Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) wrote to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, informing him of the decision to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha," Venugopal reported.
Other appointments within the party would be announced later. At the meeting at the Kharge residence, leaders of the opposition bloc deliberated on the election of the Speaker and have been informed about the new role to be taken up by Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi's acceptance of this role grants him the stature of a cabinet minister and enhances his protocol ranking at a time when he is being projected by the opposition bloc as a probable prime ministerial candidate. As Leader of Opposition, Gandhi will serve on important panels for the appointments of the Lokpal, CBI chief, Chief Election Commissioner, other Election Commissioners, and leaders of the Central Vigilance Commission, Central Information Commission, and NHRC, all chaired by the Prime Minister.
Mallikarjun Kharge praised the decision, expressing confidence that Rahul Gandhi would be a powerful voice for the people, particularly the marginalized and poor, in the 18th Lok Sabha. He affirmed the Congress party’s commitment to upholding the principles of democracy, justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Many leaders thanked Rahul Gandhi for taking up the responsibility and said he would put forward the people's problems effectively in Parliament. Venugopal also said that, as Leader of Opposition, Gandhi would hold the NDA Government accountable.
Previously, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to assume the role, recognizing him as the ideal candidate. Gandhi, who recently turned 54, has a long political career and is a five-term MP currently representing the Rae Bareli constituency. He took his parliamentary oath while holding a copy of the Constitution.
Though Gandhi won from both Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, he resigned from the Wayanad seat that will now be contested by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. He started off his political journey in 2004 by winning the Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh.
After a decade, the Congress party managed to regain the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; it is the biggest opposition block. In the 2014 and 2019 elections, it could not get the required 10 percent seats. But this time, riding on the prominent election campaigners, including Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, the Congress did very well in the election and won 99 seats.
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