Who Is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha? Why The Post Was Vacant Since 2014 | Explained

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, has been nominated to lead India's opposition in Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, following the election result that pulled Congress from political extinction. 

A Congress leadership meeting voted unanimously to recommend Rahul Gandhi as India's official opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, the role which has been vacant since 2014. 

But why Congress will get the Leader of the Opposition post? In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the INDI bloc (Opposition) by winning 99 Lok Sabha seats. It crossed the 55-member mark needed for a political party to stake a claim for the LoP post. 

Who Is the Leader of Opposition? 

The leader of the largest opposition party often becomes the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a post that was not recognised till 1969 when Ram Subhag Singh became the first recognised LoP of the Lok Sabha.

The Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977 lays out provisions for statutory recognition of the LoP through the Salary and Allowances. 

The Act states that a Leader of the Opposition is a member of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha for the time being, and Leader of that House of the party that emerged as the single largest party having the greatest number of strength. 

Who Gets Leader of Opposition Post? 

With several parties in the Opposition, the post of Leader of the Opposition is taken up by the party that secures one-tenth of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. As per the rulebook, since the Lok Sabha has 543 members, a political party will need 55 members to appoint a Leader of the Opposition.

The recognition of the Leader of Opposition is given by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, “provided the largest opposition party have minimum 55 MP in the House.” 

Why LoP Post Was Vacant Since 2014? 

None of the parties, other than the ruling party, was able to secure the minimum number of seats in the Lok Sabha required to nominate a Leader of Opposition. 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Congress emerged as the single-largest party in the opposition with 52 seats but fell three seats short of the requisite numbers. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress emerged as the second-largest party, and won 44 Lok Sabha seats — but way below the mark.