New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has assumed the role of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha. For the past decade, the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has remained vacant due to the inability of any opposition party to meet the minimum strength requirement needed for the post.
Despite being the second-largest party in the Lok Sabha after the 2014 and 2019 general elections, the Congress was unable to secure the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) position due to holding less than 10 percent of the total seats in the Lower House. For an opposition party to stake a claim for the LoP post in the 543-member Lok Sabha, it requires a minimum of 55 seats.
In 2014, following its loss of majority status, the Congress secured only 44 seats, thereby failing to meet the criteria for the LoP position. At that time, the Congress’s request for the LoP post was declined by then Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. In the 2019 elections, despite increasing its tally to 52 seats, the Congress once again fell short of the required number to qualify for the LoP post in the Lok Sabha.
The Congress MP follows in the footsteps of his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and his mother, former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, both of whom previously held the role during different administrations. Rajiv Gandhi served as LoP from 1989 to 1990 under the VP Singh government, while Sonia Gandhi held the position from 1999 to 2004 during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure.
Perks And Powers Of LoP:
- In his new role, Rahul Gandhi assumes responsibilities that include having a say in the appointment of key bureaucrats and participating in crucial parliamentary committees such as Public Accounts, Public Undertakings, and Estimates.
- He will also sit on various Joint Parliamentary Committees and selection panels tasked with appointing heads of significant statutory bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Human Rights Commission of India, and the Lokpal, among others.
- As Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi is entitled to the rank and privileges akin to those of a cabinet minister, including an office and staff within the Parliament premises.
- He will receive a salary of Rs 3.3 lakh per month along with security arrangements equivalent to those provided to a cabinet minister, which may include Z+ security cover and a government bungalow, as per an ABP report.
