Rahul Gandhi Becomes Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha

Congress leader Imran Masood expressed his wish to see Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition, calling him the ‘strongest voice’ of the opposition. Rahul Gandhi, MP from Rae Bareli, has been declared the Leader of the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha. This ends a 10-year period without an opposition leader in the Lower House.

Rahul Gandhi won from both Rae Bareli and Wayanad constituencies in the recent Lok Sabha elections. He chose to keep Rae Bareli, and Priyanka Gandhi will contest from Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi will now be part of key parliamentary committees, including Public Accounts, Public Undertakings, and Estimates, and will have a role in appointing heads of statutory bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission and the Central Information Commission.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi took the oath as a Member of Parliament, carrying a copy of the Constitution in his hands. The leader of the largest opposition party with at least one-tenth of the total Lok Sabha seats is recognized as the Leader of the Opposition. This position comes with the salary, allowances, and facilities equivalent to that of a cabinet minister.