CWC urges Rahul to take over as LoP in parliament, Sonia re-elected CPP

NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously urged Rahul Gandhi to assume the role of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha during a Saturday morning meeting. Gandhi informed the party’s top brass that he would make a decision “very soon.” This is the first time since its ouster from power in 2014 that the Congress will secure the Leader of Opposition post, having previously failed to meet the requisite 10 per cent of total seats in the House in both 2014 and 2019.

In a separate evening meeting, the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) re-elected Sonia Gandhi unopposed as chairperson of the CPP.

The CWC adopted two resolutions: one lauding the contributions of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the party's performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, and another crediting the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi for the improved results. The resolutions declared the election outcome a personal and moral defeat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had campaigned for a mandate in his name, and thanked the electorate for placing the Congress on a path to revival.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking at the CWC meeting, emphasised the electorate's rejection of the ruling party's "dictatorial and anti-democratic ways." He stated, "People have spoken against the politics of the last 10 years, rejecting divisiveness, hate, and polarisation." Kharge also praised the efforts of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners, underscoring the collaborative efforts of each party in different states. "Our determination is that the I.N.D.I.A. group must continue. We must function cohesively and collectively both in Parliament and outside," he said.

At the CPP meeting, Sonia Gandhi stressed the importance of holding Prime Minister Modi and the new NDA government accountable. "As members of the Congress Parliamentary Party, we have a special obligation to be watchful, vigilant, and proactive," she said. Gandhi criticised the past decade's parliamentary practices, asserting, "No longer can and should Parliament be bulldozed. No longer will the writ of the ruling establishment disrupt Parliament, whimsically mistreat members, or push through legislation without proper consideration and debate. Parliamentary Committees must not be ignored or bypassed, and Parliament will no longer be muzzled and stifled."

The Congress, reinvigorated by its recent electoral performance and internal leadership, is poised to play a more assertive role in Parliament, advocating for greater scrutiny and accountability of the ruling government.