The Power and responsibilities of Rahul Gandhi as the leader of Opposition

After the office went unfilled for ten years, Rahul Gandhi took over as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The Gandhi scion will have the following advantages and capabilities.

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party, assumed his first constitutional duty when he was elected to the Lok Sabha as the Leader of Opposition (LoP). This office had been empty for the previous ten years because no opposition party could meet the necessary strength requirements.

Gandhi will play a significant role in the Lower House as Leader of the Opposition, including the selection of key officials including the Chief Vigilance Commissioner, the National Human Rights Commission Chairperson, the Chief Election Commissioners, and the Director of the CBI.

The government, which consists of the Prime Minister and a Union Minister, has a 2-1 edge in the selection panels for the majority of these appointments. Gandhi, however, will speak up as Leader of the Opposition.

As the Leader of the Opposition, the 54-year-old leader is the third Gandhi relative to hold the office. In 1989–1990, during the tenure of the VP Singh administration, his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, held the office of Leader of the Opposition. During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government’s tenure from 1999 to 2004, his mother and former UPA chairwoman Sonia Gandhi held the position.

Gandhi will have an office and staff in the Parliament building, along with the benefits of being a cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition.

“The Leader of the Opposition occupies a seat in the front row left to the Chair,” states a government pamphlet that may be found in the Parliament library. Along with these benefits, he or she also gets to accompany the Speaker-elect to the rostrum and sit in the front row when the President addresses the two houses of parliament on ceremonial occasions.

The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977 provides a leader of opposition with a salary as well as a number of benefits.

Rahul Gandhi would receive Rs 3.3 lakh in salary as the leader of the opposition. He will also receive protection equivalent to that of a Cabinet minister. One such item could be a Z+ security cover. A story claims that he will receive a government residence akin to a Cabinet minister’s.