The Opposition UPA on Wednesday made a joint bid to secure for the Congress the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha.
A Congress delegation led by its leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, met Speaker Sumitra Mahajan with a memorandum signed by 60 members of the pre-poll UPA, making out a case in favour of the grand old party.
“We have submitted a memorandum containing the signatures of 60 UPA MPs. It is for her (the Speaker) to take a view on the matter,” Kharge told reporters after the meeting.
Deputy leader of the Congress in the Lower House, Amarinder Singh, and chief whip, Jyotiraditya Scindia, accompanied Kharge. They hoped for an early decision in the wake of the memorandum.
Kharge said the Speaker was apprised that the Congress being the single largest Opposition party, the LoP post must accrue to it. Besides, the post entailed participation in important decision-making processes, including key appointments such as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner and the Lokpal.
The UPA delegation stressed that the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977, makes it abundantly clear that the single largest party in the Opposition should be given the post of LoP.
“Representative of the party which has the largest number in the Opposition should be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition,” Kharge said, adding no rule can override a statute.
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