Haryana Congress yet to decide on Leader of Opposition 6 months post polls

The delay in appointment of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) has created a constitutional impasse and governance paralysis as the state continues to function without a designated Leader of the Opposition more than six months after the BJP-led government returned to power.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

The delay is being widely attributed to internal wrangling within the Congress, the principal opposition party, which secured 37 out of 90 seats in the Assembly elections held in October last year but has yet to name its LoP.

Even the issue came under judicial scrutiny during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The PIL, filed by Advocate Nikhil Thamman, calls for the urgent appointment of Information Commissioners in the Haryana State Information Commission, which is facing an alarming backlog of RTI appeals and near-total functional breakdown.

During the proceedings, the state government admitted that the absence of a Leader of the Opposition is directly responsible for the delay in statutory appointments. Under provisions of the RTI Act and other laws, the selection committees for these appointments require the presence of the LoP.

"This is not merely a party matter—it is a constitutional obligation," argued Advocate Thamman, highlighting how the Congress party's failure to nominate a LoP is now obstructing crucial appointments including those of Information Commissioners, the Lokayukta, and members of the Human Rights Commission.

He emphasized that the ongoing delay is denying citizens their right to transparency and grievance redressal; and is in violation of constitutional principles.