Congress leaders rally for Rahul to become leader of opposition
The Congress—which won 99 Lok Sabha seats—is now entitled to the leader of the opposition post in the Parliament. According to reports, party leaders want Rahul Gandhi—who secured victory from Raebareli and Wayanad—to assume the role after a strong performance in the Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, the party lacked the necessary numbers, so Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was only the Congress's leader in the parliament and not the LoP.
LoP is a Cabinet-rank position
Notably, LoP is a Cabinet-rank post involves critical decisions like being part of the panel selecting the chiefs of the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation. Earlier in the day, Congress MP-elect Manickam Tagore said in an X post, "I sought votes on the name of my leader, Rahul Gandhi...I think he should be the Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha. I hope elected Congress MPs also think the same. Let's see how the Congress Parliamentary Party decides."
Party leaders' support for Gandhi's leadership
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha also echoed the same sentiments, saying,"Rahul ji led the campaign frontally. He was the face. He is duty bound to take on the mantle of Lok Sabha parliamentary party leadership. @RahulGandhi cannot take all decisions about himself. Some decisions the party leaders / MPs have to take." Congress leader Karti Chidambaram said,"I think the slot will come to the Congress. In my personal opinion, Rahul Gandhi himself must take up the leader of opposition."
Shiv Sena MP praises Gandhi's leadership potential
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut also voiced his support for Gandhi at a press conference earlier. Raut stated, "If Rahul Gandhi is ready to accept the leadership, why would we object? He has proven himself as a national leader multiple times." Despite making his political debut in 2004, Gandhi has not held any constitutional post even when his party was in power.
Wayanad or Raebareli: Another crucial decision for Gandhi
Another crucial decision that Gandhi has to take soon is the seat he should quit from Lok Sabha—Raebareli or Wayanad. He won the seat of Raebareli by defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party's DP Singh by a margin of 3,90,030 votes. Gandhi also won from Wayanad—which paved his entry to the Lok Sabha in 2019. Asked about which seat he would represent, Gandhi said on Tuesday, "I have to decide which seat I will stay on, will discuss and then decide."
