Clamour for Rahul Gandhi as LoP in Congress, MP's call him "voice of 140 crore Indians"

Rahul Gandhi. Pic/PTI

Several Congress leaders have come out and voiced their demand that Rahul Gandhi should take over the position of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha citing that he will play a crucial role and this move will ultimately strengthen the party, reported news agency ANI.

"Everything would be decided by the party high command. The whole country demands that Rahul Gandhi should surface as the main Leader of the Opposition. This position is apt and he will play a crucial role. The party will also strengthen the party," Partap Singh Bajwa told ANI.

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring who is an MP elected from Ludhiana said that the final decision rests with the party's leadership and it is Rahul Gandhi who has to decide whether to take this role.

"It has been our demand that Rahul Gandhi should come forward and handle everything but the final decision is of the leadership. Rahul Gandhi has to decide for himself. The PM should not be taking the oath. He was talking about '400 paar'... 'Agar mai unki jagah pe hota toh shayad shapath nahi leta," Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, reported ANI.

The meeting of Extended Congress Working Committee meeting is underway in Delhi. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party MP Rahul Gandhi, party's general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders are present at the meeting.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also said that this is the demand of 140 crore Indians.

"We don't know about the agenda of the CWC meeting yet. Our demand is the same as that of 140 crore Indians. Rahul Gandhi has to take the position as the leader of the Opposition. Rahul Gandhi has been fighting for women and the unemployed," he said, reported ANI.

Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who won the Lok Sabha election from Gurdaspur said that Rahul Gandhi is someone who can reply to the Prime Minister in the Parliament and hence he should assume the position of LoP.

"This is a very important meeting. The proposals that will be put forth will be good...We will play the role of a strong Opposition in the Parliament. Yes, we want the country to get such a face who can reply to the Prime Minister. I think the entire country wants this," he said, reported ANI.

Amid the Bharatiya Janata Party taking the support of its allies in the government formation, INDIA bloc leaders have decided to "wait and watch" before taking a future course of action, reported ANI.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid expressed hope that the NDA alliance will prove good for the country's future."Various people have described it in various manners. Clearly, it is an alliance. I believe this alliance will be good for the future of this country because up to now, the manner in which the BJP ran the government was unsatisfactory. Let's hope it gets better," Khurshid told ANI.

The Congress has emerged as the second-largest party in the election and improved its tally to 100, from 52 in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.

Top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others are likely to participate in the deliberations.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to take oath for the third successive term in office on June 9. BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a successive third term in office in the results of Lok Sabha elections declared on June 4.

(With inputs from ANI)