HOW NOT TO BE THE LEADER OF SUPPOSITION

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha needs to pursue serious issues consistently and offer alternatives. A wealth of institutional history can inspire Rahul Gandhi in this constitutional role

- VINAY SAHASRABUDDHE

THE Congress-initiated, INDIAlliance-supported motion to express lack of confidence in the Speaker of the Lok Sabha was destined to be defeated. Going by the speeches of the opposition leaders, it was clear that there was little substance to the motion. On the other hand, going by the frontal attack by speakers from the treasury benches, it proved to be yet another self-goal for the opposition in general and the Congress in particular.

The onus of this flop show lies undoubtedly with the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. The 2024 verdict, in which India’s Grand Old Party won almost 100 seats, created a fertile ground for Rahul to prove his political acumen, understand parliamentary practices, hone oratorical skills and, above all, display his leadership talent. But alas, over the last two years, Rahul has failed to establish much worth noting on these fronts. On the contrary, factors like a seeming lack of application, inconsistent participation in the Lok Sabha, unserious demeanour including making serious allegations without providing concrete evidence have done serious damage to the institution of LoP.

From A K Gopalan to Sushma Swaraj, there were many LoPs who hugely contributed to the prestige and decorum of the office. In the first Lok Sabha, Comrade Gopalan could not be officially appointed LoP as the formal role had not been established yet. Nonetheless, his scholarship, activism and oratorical skills made him the de facto LoP. As a parliamentarian, AKG was known for his commitment to the rights of the working classes.

From the BJP, leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Swaraj and Arun Jaitley enhanced the prestige of the LoP’s office through their conduct in the House as also their intellectual contribution during deliberations.