Former Railway Minister and a powerful Dalit leader from Karnataka, Mallikarjun Kharge said his party’s approach would be issue based and work as a responsible Opposition.
Kharge told media in Bangalore, before leaving for Delhi after he was chosen leader of the Congress in lok Sabha, that his party will not function as an Opposition for opposition sake.
He said, “We will not function as Opposition for opposition sake. It (our functioning) will be issue based in the larger interest of the country and society. The Congress as the opposition party would, at the same time, discharge its responsibility in highlighting the ‘mistakes’ of the Government.”
"I will sincerely and honestly try to discharge the responsibility in the interest of the country. Whatever job has been entrusted to me by my party president, I will try to come up to her expectations," he said. He said he would seek the guidance of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In a tactical move Congress on Monday appointed Kharge a Dalit leader as leader of opposition in lok Sabha to lead the decimated party in the proceedings. Kharge who dreams to become chief minister of the state has won from Gulbarga constituency countering Modi wave.
Kharge, a veteran Congress leader who has never tasted defeat in his more than 45 years of political life profusely thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for reposing faith in him. He said, "I will do my utmost to measure up to the expectations of party president."