In a strategic move against the ruling BJP-led NDA, Rahul Gandhi has agreed to the Congress Working Committee’s decision and will assume the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. This announcement, made on Tuesday, comes just hours before the first major confrontation of the 18th Lok Sabha over the election of the Speaker, setting the stage for a resurgent opposition against a weakened ruling coalition.
The opposition, led by the Congress and the INDIA bloc, decided to challenge the NDA’s pick for Speaker, Om Birla, by nominating K Suresh as their candidate. This decision came after the opposition was denied the customary assurance that one of their members would be appointed as Deputy Speaker. The Speaker’s election, the first of its kind in decades, is largely symbolic given the NDA’s simple majority of 292 MPs, bolstered by the support of the YSR Congress’ 4 MPs. However, the opposition aims to signal a shift in parliamentary dynamics, breaking from the patterns established in 2014 and 2019.
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Rahul Gandhi, the Congress’ most prominent figure, being appointed as Leader of the Opposition, marks a significant shift. This is the first time since 2014 that an opposition party has surpassed the 54-seat threshold (10% of the Lok Sabha’s strength) required to claim this position. As Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi will not only receive a cabinet rank but will also have a platform to vigorously advocate for the issues concerning the public and the INDIA bloc. His role will include participation in crucial panels, such as those for selecting Chief Election Commissioners and Election Commissioners, alongside the Prime Minister.
The decision to appoint Gandhi was made during a meeting of the INDIA bloc floor leaders at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Tuesday. Following the meeting, senior party leader KC Venugopal announced, “Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) wrote a letter to Pro-Tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, informing him of the decision to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Other office bearers will be decided later.”
