Congress braces up for fight over staking its claim to LOP post

Says NDA govt can't deny it leader of opposition as it is the single largest opposition party with 44 MPs and has second largest pre-poll alliance

While maintaining that it will perform the role of a "responsible" Opposition, the Congress is bracing itself for a confrontation with the ruling party over staking its claim to the Leader of Opposition position (LOP). The party states that the BJP-led NDA government cannot deny the Congress the LOP position as it is the single largest party in Opposition 44 MPs and also has the second largest pre-poll alliance. In unambiguous terms the Congress stated that the Speaker does not have arbitrary powers and is bound by Parliamentary practises. Without disclosing its future strategy should the BJP decide to deny them the LOP post, the Congress indicated that it could event resort to disrupting the proceedings in the house.

Earlier, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had gone on record to say that she will study and examine precedents to determine whether a party which does not have even 10 per cent of the seats in the Lok Sabha can be given the LOP position. Rejecting this argument, Congress says legal experts state it is not a necessity.

 

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "Scuttling this right will be an affront to constitutional democracy, we sincerely hope it ( BJP government) will wean itself away from any such autocratic step".

Unlike in the past, when the LOP post was not a necessity, the Congress argues that the LOP position is now a constitutional necessity with crucial appointments of the Lokpal, the chiefs of CBI and CVC requiring a LOP as mandatory in the selection process.

With Parliament beginning next week, the Congress strategy to get the LOP position has gathered momentum. While yesterday Mallikarjun Kharge the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha had met the Speaker, the party is likely to put in a formal representation staking its claim.

The matter could also surface in the all party meeting slated for tomorrow, on the ev of the Parliament session .

While the BJP appears to be in no mood to give Congress the LOP, Congress Surjewala when reminded about the Speaker's discretion on the issue said, "We all know the Speaker also consults government of the day".