Rahul Gandhi has been appointed as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as announced by senior Congress leader KC Venugopal on Tuesday, June 25. The decision was conveyed in a letter from CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, with further appointments of office bearers to be determined later.
The decision came following a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday. Rahul Gandhi, currently representing the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha, has served as an MP for five terms. He recently took oath as an MP while holding a copy of the Constitution.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi won two Lok Sabha seats – Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. Following the protocol, he vacated the Wayanad seat, and the Congress has nominated Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as their candidate for the Wayanad constituency, marking her electoral debut.
Party leaders had encouraged Rahul Gandhi to contest for the Leader of Opposition position in the Lok Sabha. This appointment reinstates the Congress as the single largest opposition party, securing the role after a 10-year gap due to not meeting the required 10% of Lok Sabha members in the last two elections.
During the Tuesday meeting at Kharge's residence, discussions also focused on the Opposition's strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha Speaker election, scheduled for Wednesday, June 26. The ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc have nominated their respective candidates – K Suresh and Om Birla, with efforts for consensus on the Speaker position remaining unresolved despite earlier attempts.
Om Birla, who previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, faces competition from eight-time MP K Suresh, nominated by the INDIA bloc.
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