With the Congress getting the opposition party status after 10 years, anticipation ran high over who will be appointed as the Leader of the Opposition. Parliamentary joint committee meeting of INDIA alliance parties elected Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in this meeting. Parliamentary Party Leader Sonia Gandhi has informed this formally through a letter to the Acting Speaker.
Besides this, the fact that Rahul Gandhi has been chosen for the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is very important. This post is of Cabinet status. In the current 18th Lok Sabha, the All India Opposition has 230 members, but the ruling BJP alliance has more than 300 members. It will be a big challenge for the ruling party to pass the bills as the number of opposition members is more compared to the last two Lok Sabhas. The opposition parties will strategize to give tough pressure during the debates. With Rahul Gandhi chosen as the Leader of the Opposition, there will be no dearth of heated debates in Parliament.
The opposition parties should not consider only putting pressure on the ruling party as their policy and should carry forward discussions and criticisms. Similarly, the ruling BJP should also organize its activities in the Lok Sabha without giving way to controversies. In the interest of the people, opposition parties can voice their strong opposition if necessary. At the same time, the Lok Sabha should be conducted without any hitch so as to gain the goodwill of the people. That will strengthen democracy. It is the expectation of the people that the attitudes of both the parties should be accordingly.
It is in this context that Rahul Gandhi is going to take over as the Leader of the Opposition.