The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (October 11) taunted the opposition INDIA bloc, saying if they feel Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is not able to fulfill his responsibility with dedication as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha then they should consider making the post rotational.
RSP MP NK Premachandran hit back and called the BJP's suggestion baseless saying the very question of making the Leader of Opposition's post rotational doesn’t arise.
Bansuri Swaraj on Opposition considering making LoP's post rotational
The BJP MP’s remarks came after she was asked to comment on talks about the opposition parties considering making the Leader of Opposition's post rotational in the Lok Sabha.
“Yes, absolutely. I have also heard that there is talk of making the post of Leader of Opposition rotational. But I would politely say that this is an internal matter of the Opposition,” Bansuri Swaraj told media at the party headquarters in the national capital while replying to the media query.
“Yes, there are definitely many leaders in the opposition parties who are quite capable of fulfilling the responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition. If the INDI Alliance feels that Rahul Gandhi is not able to fulfill his responsibility with complete dedication, they should take such a decision,” she added.
“It’s impossible. There is not even such thinking. It’s totally baseless,” RSP MP told media when asked for comment.
He said a leader of the single largest opposition party is appointed as the Leader of the Opposition.
“That’s an accepted convention. The question of rotation does not arise,” Premachandran added.
The RSP is one of the constituents of the INDIA bloc of the opposition parties. Experts also said that only an MP from the single largest party in the opposition with at least 10 per cent seats can be appointed as the LoP.
Rahul Gandhi as LoP in Lok Sabha
Gandhi has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha with the Congress being the single largest opposition party in the House. Asked if the Leader of Opposition's post can be made rotational, former Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary said only an MP from the single largest opposition party in the House can be appointed as the LoP.
The person whom the single largest opposition party wants to be appointed as the LoP is chosen by it only, he said.
“Neither the government nor the Speaker have any role to play in it,” Acharya told media.
The Speaker only recognises a person as the LoP in the Lok Sabha whose name is forwarded by the single largest opposition party, he added.
