Congress Wins 99 Seats: Rahul Gandhi May Become Leader of Opposition

New Delhi [India], June 21: Congress has secured 99 seats in the general elections, which means its leader in Lok Sabha will get the status of Leader of Opposition (LoP) for the first time in 10 years. The party is also looking to nominate a senior member as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), responsible for auditing the government’s revenue and expenditure.

In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress won 44 and 52 seats respectively, which was not enough for its leader in Lok Sabha to be recognized as LoP. Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were the Congress leaders in Lok Sabha after the 2014 and 2019 elections, respectively, and both served as chairpersons of the PAC.

With the new status, the Leader of Opposition will have a rank equal to a cabinet minister, along with a room and official staff in Parliament. Congress sources indicate that Manish Tewari, MP from Chandigarh, is a strong candidate for the role. Additionally, the Congress Working Committee has passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to accept the position of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. Rahul Gandhi has asked for some time to make his decision.