CWC meet: Members pass resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha

CWC unanimously requested Rahul Gandhi to take the position of the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha.

The members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on June 8 passed a resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

"CWC unanimously requested Rahul Gandhi to take the position of the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. He is the best person to lead this campaign inside the Parliament," said party leader KC Venugopal after the meeting.

This will be the first time that the Congress, since its ouster from power in 2014, will get the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. It failed to get the position in the past 10 years as its tally was below the requisite 10 percent of total seats in the House, both in 2014 and 2019.

"During this election, we raised so many burning issues including unemployment, price rise and social justice. These issues now need to be addressed in a greater manner and more effectively inside the Parliament also. The CWC's view, hence, is that Rahul Gandhi is the best person for it," he added.

According to Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi informed the CWC that he will take a decision on taking up the position very soon.

"Definitely he (Rahul Gandhi) should become the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha). This was the request of our working committee. He is fearless and courageous," Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari said after the CWC meet.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on June 7 hailed Rahul Gandhi as the 'man of the match' in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections and proposed that he should assume the role of Leader of Opposition in the House.

The CWC hailed the role of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls.

The grand old party has emerged as the second-largest party in the Lok Sabha, improving its tally to 99 from 52 in the 2019 elections. Rahul Gandhi won the Lok Sabha elections from both Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh as well as Wayanad in Kerala.

It also credited the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatras for its good performance.