<p>The Congress on Thursday made a formal representation before Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan seeking grant of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) status to Mallikarjun Kharge.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Kharge, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, led a delegation of party MPs to Mahajan and formally made a claim to the post of the LoP and also an additional seat in the front row for deputy leader Amarinder Singh.<br /><br />As per the current seating arrangement communicated to political parties, the Congress was allotted two seats in the front row which would be occupied by Kharge and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.<br /><br />Congress has been insisting that the Speaker should consider the UPA and a pre-poll alliance which has 59 members in the Lok Sabha. The Congress, which has 44 members in the Lok Sabha, is 10 members short of the required strength a political party should have for getting the LoP status with pay and perks of a Cabinet Minister.<br /><br />The Lok Sabha Speaker is expected to give her ruling on the Leader of the opposition issue before the commencement of the Budget Session of Parliament on July 7. <br /><br />Parliament sources said Congress leaders discussed the seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha and other issues with the Speaker.<br /><br />There are indications that Mahajan would strictly go by the rule book before taking a call on demands by the Congress and its alliance partners to designate one of their members as the LoP.</p>
<p>The Congress on Thursday made a formal representation before Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan seeking grant of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) status to Mallikarjun Kharge.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Kharge, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, led a delegation of party MPs to Mahajan and formally made a claim to the post of the LoP and also an additional seat in the front row for deputy leader Amarinder Singh.<br /><br />As per the current seating arrangement communicated to political parties, the Congress was allotted two seats in the front row which would be occupied by Kharge and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.<br /><br />Congress has been insisting that the Speaker should consider the UPA and a pre-poll alliance which has 59 members in the Lok Sabha. The Congress, which has 44 members in the Lok Sabha, is 10 members short of the required strength a political party should have for getting the LoP status with pay and perks of a Cabinet Minister.<br /><br />The Lok Sabha Speaker is expected to give her ruling on the Leader of the opposition issue before the commencement of the Budget Session of Parliament on July 7. <br /><br />Parliament sources said Congress leaders discussed the seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha and other issues with the Speaker.<br /><br />There are indications that Mahajan would strictly go by the rule book before taking a call on demands by the Congress and its alliance partners to designate one of their members as the LoP.</p>