The Congress Working Committee met on Saturday has `uninimasouly’ decided Rahul Gandhi will be their Leader of Opposition in the new Lok Sabha. Several party leaders were seen pushing for Rahul Gandhi’s name.
However, Rahul has reportedly said he “will think it over and take a decision”. Congress leader K C Venugopal said the CWC “unanimously requested” him to take up the role and felt he will be right person to lead the party in the Lok Sabha
In the meeting a day ahead of Narendra Modi taking oath for the third term, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge spoke about the 2024 Lok Sabha results and said the people have given a “befitting reply to dictatorial forces” by reposing faith in the grand old party.
Later in the day, the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) with newly-elected MPs will also hold a meeting. The party chairperson post is currently held by Sonia Gandhi. She is now in the Rajya Sabha after deciding not to contest from the traditional Gandhi family bastion of Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli, from where her son and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi won.
“People have spoken against the dictatorial and anti-democratic ways of the ruling party. It is a decisive rejection of the politics of the last 10 years. It is rejection of the politics of divisiveness, hate and polarisation,” the Congress chief said.
Kharge began his speech, pointing out that while celebrating the party’s resurgence, Congress should also look into why it failed to live up to expectations in some states. “Further, we could not repeat our performance in states where we had previously done well in Vidhan Sabha elections and formed the government,” Kharge said, adding that separate discussions on each such state will be held soon.
Kharge said whether the party is in power or not, its work continues among people “24 hours, 365 days”. “We accept this Lok Sabha poll verdict with genuine humility,” Kharge added. “We must remain disciplined, united; people have reposed faith back in us, we must build on it.”