Setting aside all speculation, the Congress on Monday named senior leader and former Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge as the leader of the party in the lok Sabha. If the Speaker recognises the Congress as the main Opposition group, Kharge can get the status of leader of Opposition. The Congress has 44 MPs, 11 short of the requisite number to automatically claim the loP post.
“Congress president Sonia Gandhi has nominated Mallikarjun Kharge as the leader of the party in the lok Sabha,” party general secretary in-charge of the organisation Janardan Dwivedi said. There were different views in the party on who should lead the pack of 44 MPs in the lok Sabha. A number of leaders were of the firm opinion that either Sonia Gandhi or party vice-president Rahul Gandhi should take up the responsibility.
The nomination of the Gandhi-Nehru family loyalist brings to an end the intense speculation going on for over a fortnight about who will hold this crucial position at a time when the party has suffered its worst-ever defeat in its political history. The decision has eliminated senior-most members of the lok Sabha Kamal Nath and M Veerappa Moily from the race.
Kharge, a Dalit leader and a second term member from Gulbarga lS seat, was chosen by Sonia Gandhi. “Both Sonia and Rahul will get the time to work for the organisation. The party high command held detailed discussion with several senior leaders before taking this decision. They were convinced about Kharge’s ability to take on NDA dispensation in Parliament. At the same time, Gandhis will get time to interact and boost the sagging morale of party workers,” said an AICC functionary.
Kharge was elected to the Karnataka Assembly nine times and had functioned as the loP there. Besides his seniority, the fact that Karnataka has sent the largest contingent of nine MPs for the Congress in this lok Sabha, also seems to have gone in his favour.