Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Appointed as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been named the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, party general secretary KC Venugopal announced following a meeting of floor leaders of opposition parties. During a press briefing, Venugopal shared that CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi communicated the decision to pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab via a formal letter. Venugopal also mentioned that the appointment of other office bearers would be determined at a later date. This significant decision was made during a gathering of floor leaders from the INDIA bloc parties at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi, attended by notable leaders including NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule, TMC MP Derek O’Brien, and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party leader Hanuman Beniwal.

Highlighting the importance of the appointment, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey remarked that the Congress, being the largest member of the INDIA bloc with 99 seats won in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, had Rahul Gandhi playing a pivotal role in their success. Dubey expressed satisfaction with Gandhi’s new role, emphasizing the party’s regained prominence. Rahul Gandhi, a five-term MP currently representing the Rae Bareli constituency, took his oath of office while holding a copy of the Constitution. This appointment marks a significant moment for the Congress, as it secures the post of Leader of the Opposition after a ten-year gap, having previously been unable to meet the 10 percent membership requirement in the Lok Sabha.

In a statement last week, Gandhi hinted at the possibility of his appointment, revealing that Kharge had “threatened” him with action if he did not accept the party’s resolution for him to become the Leader of the Opposition. This development comes at a crucial time, just ahead of the election for the post of Speaker, with both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc fielding their respective candidates.

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Author:- Apoorva Arora