Omkar Dattatray
The role ,importance and significance of a leader of opposition cannot be exaggerate in a parliamentary democracy and more so in the largest democracy of the world. The place and role of the leader of opposition is very great and his place ,status ,prestige is no less than a union minister and LOC enjoys all the perks ,emoluments and privileges of a union minister and he as important as the centre minister but enjoys more importance than a centre minister .In fact opposition parties are as important as the treasury benches in a democracy if not more than the ruling parties .The LOP in a democracy should play a big part in the functioning of a parliamentary democracy and he should realize and acknowledge his role which is enviable and play his pivotal and strategic part for the successful working of democracy. But opposition should play its positive and constructive role in parliamentary democracy and a democracy cannot function smoothly without the positive and constructive role of the opposition .Good! Rahul Gandhi ,Congress leader has got the place of the Leader of opposition after a long gap of 10 years and he should play his role well for the successful governance of the country in a functional and vibrant democracy .Rahul Gandhi as the leader of opposition should assume his role and fulfill his responsibilities in a parliamentary democracy without which democracy cannot be successful .Thus Rahul Gandhi as the LOP should play his inning well so that the government is kept on its toes but he should not obstruct the governance of the country and should also not be an obstacle for the smooth function of the highest temple of democracy which in fact parliament in a democracy is .Therefore Rahul Gandhi as the LOP should assume his pivotal responsibility and contribute towards the successful working of the parliament and in no way should obstruct the smooth working of the parliament .The Congress ,the largest opposition party won 44 & 52 seats in the 543 member House after the general elections of 2014 & 2019 respectively .The Congress party has in 2024 Lok Sabha elections almost doubled its 2019 tally to 99 seats .Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi has become Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha ,a position that lay vacant for 10 years because no party had numbers equaling a tenth of the strength of the House ,which has been by practice a requirement to lay claim to the post .The oppositions main role is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable to the public .This also helps to fix the mistakes of the ruling party .The main duty of the leader of opposition is to serve as the voice of the opposition in the House .The Leader of the Opposition -LOP in India is a prominent political figure who heads the largest opposition party in either the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sahba ,the two houses of the Indian parliament .The LOP’s role is defined in under the salaries and allowances of Leader of Opposition in Parliament Act,1977.The leader of the Opposition is typically the leader of the largest political party in opposition to the government party in respective house [Lok Sabha or Raj Sabha}.The designation is recognized by the chairman of the Raj Sabha or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as applicable .The leader of opposition plays a crucial role in the parliamentary system .Their responsibilities include providing practical criticism and scrutiny of the ruling party’s policies and actions .Being ready to take over as an alternative government in case of the governments fall .Participating in key appointments ,such as the selection of the Central Vigilance Commissioner -CVC and Vigilance Commissioner .The LOP is a vital part of India’s parliamentary democracy ,providing a voice for the opposition and ensuring checks and balances in the legislative process. They contribute to policy formulation ,bring accountability and help maintain transparency in government institutions .The controversy in recent years has arisen from debates over whether the largest party in opposition qualifies for the post of Leader of Opposition if it does not have at least 10% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha .This debate emerged from the practice started in the 1950’s ,when the speaker categorized parties as parties and groups based on whether they had 10% of the house’s strength or less .In India’s precedence ,the Leader of Opposition -LoP in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha is accorded a status equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister .This recognition highlights the significance of the LoP’s role in parliamentary democracy and ensures that they are given due respect and privileges. The Leader of Opposition -LoP in India is a prominent political figure who leads the official Opposition party or coalition in either the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha ,the two houses in the Indian parliament. The Leader of the Opposition plays a vital role in the Indian parliamentary system .Their responsibilities include providing practical criticism and scrutiny of the ruling party’s policies ,leading the opposition in debates ,being ready to take over as an alternative government in case of the government’s fall and participating in selection of key appointments such as CVC,VC etc. .Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha for next five years .He now has some crucial responsibilities to perform to safeguard the rights of minorities and ensure accountability of the government .With great power comes great responsibility .A slew of roles and responsibilities awaits Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who took over as the Leader of Opposition -LoP in the 18th Lok sabha. It was during the Parliament Session that Gandhi debuted as the Leader of the Opposition -the post equivalent to the rank of cabinet minister .One of the major roles of the Leader of Opposition is to effectively question the government’s policies .The role of the Leader of Opposition is ,in fact ,very challenging as he has to ensure accountability of the government to the legislature and to the public and present alternatives to government proposals/policies .His proactive role in facilitating smooth functioning of the business of the House is as important as that of the government .Rahul Gandhi should understand that the Leader of the Opposition is a shadow Prime Minister with a ‘shadow Cabinet’-prepared to take up the responsibility of framing a government if his party secures a majority at an election or if the present government resigns or is defeated .The LoP to carefully measure his words and actions and act with as much responsibility as is expected of the prime minister on matters of national interest. Rahul Gandhi should now function as a serious leader as he is the LoP in Lok Sabha and in coming days he has to prove his mettle and keep the government on its toes but not obstruct the working of the parliament ,but facilitate the smooth working of the Lok Sabha and cooperate with the treasury benches on matters of national importance. In fact the position and role of the LoP is one of envious and he performs very crucial role in our parliamentary democracy.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
