Since 2014, there was no opposition leader in the Parliament of India, but this time in 2024, we have got to see a political upheaval and this time we can see a leader in the form of an opposition The India Alliance has made it clear that Rahul Gandhi is the first choice for the post of opposition leader.
“All participants unanimously passed the resolution that Rahul Gandhi should take the position of leader of opposition in the parliament,” General Secretary KC Venugopal told a news conference after a meeting of the party’s executives.
The nomination will be put before a meeting of the 232 lawmakers belonging to a Congress-led opposition alliance later on Saturday.
On Tuesday, India’s governing BJP lost its majority in the chamber in an election that defied exit polls and shocked many supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Why was there no opposition leader for the last decade?
If a party wants to make its own opposition leader, then the party needs a minimum of 55 MPs. But for the last ten years, BJP was winning the elections with an absolute majority Therefore, no party was able to make its opposition leader. But this time the Congress has declared victory on 100 seats, due to which it can make its opposition leader.
History of Leader of Opposition
In 2014, the Congress not only lost power but also lost the LoP position. Congress’ demand for LoP’s post was rejected by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, requesting for LoP status to the party leader in the House Mallikarjun Kharge. In her response to Sonia’s letter, the Speaker had said after considering “applicable provisions” and “past precedents” it was not possible to accede to her request.
“I have taken the decision after studying the rules and traditions and after taking experts’ opinion on the issue. No Opposition party has more than 55 (seats). Till date, the rule that a party should have a minimum of 10 per cent seats in the House (for being accorded the status of LoP) has not changed,” she was reported to have said. The Congress had won only 44 seats and was the biggest party.
The Speaker also said in 1980 and 1984, the House had no Leader of Opposition because no party had the required strength. The Lok Sabha secretariat also informed the activist that the LoP’s post was vacant in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Lok Sabha.
In 2019, the Congress again fell short of the minimum 54 seats mark for LoP and was again not provided that status. However, in the 2024 polls, the Congress has won 99 seats and will get the LoP status.