Rahul Gandhi has assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as announced by senior Congress leader KC Venugopal on Tuesday, June 25.
The decision was communicated in a letter from CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. Venugopal indicated that additional office bearers will be determined at a later time.
Rahul Gandhi, serving as an MP for five terms, currently represents the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha. He recently took oath as an MP, holding a copy of the Constitution.Initially elected from two Lok Sabha seats, Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi has adhered to protocol by vacating the Wayanad seat. The Congress party has nominated Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as their candidate for the Wayanad seat, marking her electoral debut.
Party leaders had encouraged Rahul Gandhi to contest for the position of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The Congress, as the largest opposition party, secured the Leader of Opposition post after a gap of 10 years. In the last two elections, they fell short of the 10% Lok Sabha member threshold required for the position.
During a meeting at Kharge’s residence on Tuesday, discussions also centered around the Opposition’s strategy ahead of the upcoming rare Lok Sabha speaker election. The election for the 18th Lok Sabha speaker is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26.
Both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc have nominated their candidates – K Suresh and Om Birla, respectively. Efforts by the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party to reach a consensus on the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha were unsuccessful after the INDIA bloc decided to nominate eight-time MP K Suresh for the position.
Tuesday’s announcement arrives just hours ahead of the inaugural showdown of the 18th Lok Sabha, pitting a resurgent opposition against a weakened ruling coalition in the battle for the Speaker’s post.After failing to secure a commitment that an opposition member would be appointed Deputy Speaker, a customary practice, the Congress and the INDIA bloc opted to precipitate a last-minute election for the Speaker’s position. They have nominated K Suresh as their candidate, challenging the BJP’s nominee Om Birla, who served as the Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha term