Unwise of Congress to seek Opposition status at Centre: SMK

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader S M Krishna on Wednesday said the party’s demand for the leader of Opposition status in the Lok Sabha was unwise.

Reacting to reporters’ queries, after participating in the inauguration of Dr Rajendra Swamiji Centenary Auditorium at JSS Hospital on MG Road in the city, Krishna said, “I personally feel that it was unwise on the part of the party to seek a change in the goalpost, as parliamentary democracy mandates at least 10 per cent of the total 545 seats for a party to be feted with the status of an Opposition party. But the Congress has managed to secure only 44 seats (less than 10 per cent) in the Lower House of Parliament.”

On the performance of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, that has completed 100 days in office, Krishna said, “It is impossible to evaluate the government in such a short span of time, as it needs at least six months to rate the feat.”

To another question on the demand for accommodating Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara as deputy chief minister in the State Cabinet, Krishna said, “The deputy chief minister’s post is created depending on the prevailing political conditions.”

However, it is the prerogative of the chief minister to expand his Cabinet, he added.