New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been named the Leader of the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha, the party announced on Tuesday. This decision followed a meeting of the INDIA bloc’s floor leaders.
“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,” senior party leader KC Venugopal told reporters after the meeting.
This development comes after a gathering at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence with the INDIA bloc’s floor leaders.
Previously, the Congress Working Committee had unanimously proposed Gandhi for the opposition leader role following the election results. Gandhi had deferred his decision at that time.
In the race for the Lok Sabha Speaker position, the NDA has renominated Om Birla once again, while the INDIA bloc has nominated K Suresh. The voting is scheduled for 11 am on Wednesday.
The Congress secured 99 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, becoming the largest party within the INDIA bloc. To claim the Leader of the Opposition post, a party must surpass the 55-seat threshold.
Notably, the Lok Sabha did not have a Leader of the Opposition for the past decade due to no party, apart from the ruling one, was able to secure the minimum Lok Sabha seats required to nominate a Leader of the Opposition.
