HOW INDIA PARTNERS PERCEIVE RAHUL GANDHI'S ELEVATION AS LEADER OF OPPOSITION

With Rahul Gandhi selected as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha - a post of crucial significance, it will mean a substantial development for the INDIA bloc partners who could now put forth their agenda in Parliament in a much stronger capacity.

Here's how key allies such as the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), and the Maharashtra opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) perceive Rahul's elevation to the post.

Trinamool: The Trinamool Congress has expressed no objection to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being elevated to the position of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), but made it clear that importance has to be given to regional parties. Even though the Trinamool understands that the LoP would be from the Congress as it is the single-largest party, the Mamata Banerjee-led party made its stand clear on the issue of the Speaker election in Lok Sabha, stating that they were not consulted on the matter. Sources in the Trinamool said there was never any conflict over the post of the LoP as that would not benefit the party.

Samajwadi Party: The Samajwadi Party, a major alliance partner of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, is expected to reap big gains with Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the Opposition. The Samajwadi Party can use Rahul Gandhi's position to mount pressure on the government. Rahul Gandhi, leading the Opposition, will also be taken as UP's opposition face against PM Modi. Similarly, Akhilesh Yadav, who earlier was the leader of the opposition in the UP Assembly, has been dominant and is now expected to heat up the Parliamentary session. His presence along with Rahul Gandhi will also strengthen the alliance in the state and will have political implications.

DMK: The elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the Opposition holds major significance for the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, which was also part of the INDI Alliance. The party had no objection to the move and this was made clear with Chief Minister MK Stalin's X post showing a picture of him hugging Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra with the message, "India welcomes my brother Rahul Gandhi to his new role. May his voice continue to roar strongly in the House of the People".

RJD: The RJD has claimed that Rahul Gandhi taking up the post will have a positive impact on the state ahead of the crucial assembly elections scheduled to be held next year. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said, "Now that Rahul Gandhi has become the leader of the opposition it will have a big impact in the state as both Rahul and Tejashwi Yadav will defeat the NDA in elections next year". Tiwari said that how Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav contested Lok Sabha elections in Bihar on core issues made it very difficult for the BJP to gain ground in various parts of the country.

MVA: With Rahul Gandhi taking the centre stage as the Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, issues like the stand against Savarkar and Adani's Dharavi redevelopment project, on which Rahul Gandhi was aggressive, can become a bone of contention with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Maharashtra Congress state president Nana Patole said the party has become the 'big brother' in the state alliance and aiming to contest 150 out of 288 seats. This has already sparked a row in the alliance. This has made the seat-sharing pact challenging for all three constituent parties of MVA ahead of the state elections.

2024-06-27T01:59:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd