New Delhi: Former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today appeared all set to become Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha after his appointment as Leader of Congress in the Upper House.
Anand Sharma, another minister in UPA-II, was made Deputy Leader of the party, Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.
Since Congress has the requisite number to claim the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, 65-year-old Azad would be the natural choice.
Congress has 67 members in the 245-member House, thereby meeting the requirement of having ten per cent of the total strength of the House to get the post of Leader of the Opposition.
The two key appointments come on the back of the party making Mallikarjun Kharge, a senior Dalit leader from Karnataka, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha and former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh the party's Deputy Leader in the Lower House.