Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab has been sent a letter regarding the decision by the Congress party.
The announcement of Rahul Gandhi’s appointment as the Leader of Opposition came shortly after a meeting of the INDIA bloc’s floor leaders at the residence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
AICC general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal announced that CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had written to Mahtab about the decision. “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,” Venugopal told reporters after the meeting.
He further said that the decision on other appointments will be taken later.
This will be the first constitutional position that Rahul Gandhi will hold in his political career spanning over two and a half decades.
As the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi will also serve on crucial panels for key appointments, including those of the Lokpal, the CBI chief, the Chief Election Commissioner, and other Election Commissioners. Additionally, he will be involved in the selection of the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission, and the NHRC chief. Such panels are headed by the Prime Minister.
The decision for appointing Gandhi as the LoP was hailed by Mallikarjun Kharge who said, “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.”