Finally A Leader Of The Opposition After 10 Years

It is good for Parliament and Parliament and democracy to finally have a Leader Of the Opposition. After ten long years. The position could not be claimed before by the Congress or any other Opposition party in the Lok Sabha because they did not have the requisite number of seats (56), but that is not the case after the 2024 general elections. And the decision to appoint Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to the post is to be applauded.

Why? As it is an important post in and outside Parliament in terms of protocol and influence. The Leader of the Opposition shadows the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha, has time to counter and speak, and if the position is used with care and caution and knowledge it can prove to be a major challenge and even daunting for a Prime Minister and his government. And Rahul Gandhi has proven his courage and ability to raise questions and issues regardless of how awkward or difficult these might be for the government. He is backed by a strong Opposition now and will be able to speak for all the parties in the I.N.D.I.A bloc as he has the support.

This becomes even more important as the Opposition parties prepare to make the government accountable for a series of issues, including NEET-UG, Agniveer and other schemes that have caused widespread distress. It also comes on the eve of the election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, and even though the numbers rest with the government and the NDA coalition, the contest will establish the Opposition’s commitment to the protection of democratic values.

The post of the Leader of Opposition, given constitutional status in 1977, comes with a strong mandate that can be interpreted by the incumbent to ensure accountability, present alternative policies, scrutinise and question existing government policies, ensure respect for democracy and the Constitution of India. The very fact that I.N.D.I.A leaders were present on the first day in Lok Sabha with copies of the Indian Constitution is a clear message that the Bible of Indian democracy will determine the days ahead. Rahul Gandhi himself took the oath on the Constitution that has re-emerged as the yardstick not just in Parliament, but also on the streets of India where voters cast their ballot actively to ‘save the Constitution’ and thereby democracy and the people themselves.

The checks and balances incorporated in the Constitution work when there is a strong Opposition, represented by a good, solid Leader in Lok Sabha. Rahul Gandhi has established himself in these elections, and the Congress party had little difficulty in getting wholehearted endorsement from the other parties on this. The days ahead are going to be challenging now for both the government in which the BJP no longer holds brute majority, and the Opposition that will have to bring more than street politics to the table of the House. The Leader of the Opposition, thus, will have to strategise his approach and bring back the debates and speeches that had marked parliamentary proceedings for at least a couple of decades after independence.

The Leader of the Opposition is also part of important panels to select the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Election Commissioners, both organisations under a fog of controversy arising out of alleged misuse. He enjoys the status of a Union Cabinet Minister, and has a voice larger and louder than the same. For instance, Rahul Gandhi will now officially have access to world leaders as he can call on visiting heads of states. The Opposition voice thus will reach the world directly, important in an environment where the media stays embedded.

Sources in the Opposition said there was no opposition to Rahul Gandhi within and all the regional partners are of the view that he is the best to lead them in Parliament. Interestingly, given his rather democratic method of functioning this they expect will ensure the unity of I.N.D.I.A in the Lok Sabha, and help strategise their performance within. The decision to contest the Speakers post is being seen as a step in the right direction to establish a precedent and give the government a feel of dissent. As the sources said, it will now not be so easy for the ruling coalition to bypass the Business Committee, and ad hoc reduce the duration of a Parliament session. And with Rahul Gandhi in the driver’s seat the members of both sides expect no less.

This monsoon session of Parliament will thus see the first stirrings of a true Opposition after a 10 year hiatus. As the sources said, “keep your boots on.”