Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to assume the role of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the 18th Lok Sabha, with a formal letter confirming this decision sent to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. The decision was finalised following a meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders at the residence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on June 25.
"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," stated senior party leader KC Venugopal to reporters after the meeting, reported PTI.
Further appointments within the party are yet to be decided, stated the report.
After a decade, the Lok Sabha will have a Leader of Opposition. Following the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress passed a resolution with a single line to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
Later the same evening, party president Kharge took to microblogging site X, writing, "In the 18th Lok Sabha, the House of the People shall truly reflect the aspirations of the last person standing, with Rahul Gandhi becoming their voice. As Congress President, I am confident that a leader who has traversed the length and breadth of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and from Manipur to Maharashtra shall raise the voice of the people — especially the marginalised and the poor".
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi was sworn in as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. Holding a copy of the Constitution during the oath-taking ceremony, the Congress leader concluded with chants of 'Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan'.
The role of the LoP in the Lok Sabha carries significant privileges and responsibilities. The LoP is a member of crucial parliamentary committees including Public Accounts, Public Undertakings, and Estimates. They also participate in various Joint Parliamentary panels and serve on selection committees tasked with appointing heads of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as well as chiefs of statutory bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Central Information Commission (CIC).
The position of LoP in the Lok Sabha has remained vacant since 2014 due to no opposition party securing the required 10 percent of seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, however, the Congress secured nearly double the minimal requirement of 54 seats, enabling the Opposition to appoint the LoP.
With agency inputs
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