First Time Since 2014, Opposition To Get Leader In Lok Sabha But It May Not Be Rahul Gandhi

After the Lok Sabha election results, all eyes are now set on the election of Lok Sabha speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to propose the name of the speaker in the lower house on June 26. The BJP has decided to keep the post of Lok Sabha speaker with itself and give the post of Deputy Speaker to its allies. On the other hand, the Congress will be getting the Leader of the Opposition after 10 years as it did not secure the 55 seats required for the post in the last two elections. 

Now, the Congress leaders had passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to take up the LoP post. However, as per Zee News TV report, Rahul is not keen on taking up the post. As per reports, three senior leaders—Kumari Selja, Gaurav Gogoi, and Manish Tiwari—are being considered for the job. 

Congress party's victory of 99 seats is being credited to Rahul Gandhi and his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul Gandhi is expected to take more responsibility in the Lok Sabha. It's also likely that Rahul Gandhi may take up the Leader of Opposition post while he may get two deputies to assist the INDIA bloc in Parliament during his absence. 

The Leader of Opposition post is equivalent to Cabinet rank. If he gets the post, it will also help him coordinate better with allies while leading the Congress party's attack against the BJP in the Lok Sabha. During the 17th Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was the Leader of Opposition in the lower house. 

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will start on June 24 and continue until July 3, as announced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday. He also called on all political parties to engage in constructive debates during the session. The Rajya Sabha session will begin on June 27.