Oppn to get a leader in LS, but it may not be Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, widely expected to shoulder the responsibilities of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is not inclined to take up the post, sources said. However, names of three senior leaders -- Kumari Selja, Gaurav Gogoi and Manish Tiwari -- are being considered for the job, the sources said.

The Opposition will have a leader in the Lok Sabha after a decade following its hugely improved performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.

Ninety-nine of its 232 seats have come from the Congress, and as the largest party in the Opposition benches, it is expected to name the Leader of the Opposition.

Rahul Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra was widely cited as the reason for the Congress boost, was expected to take more responsibility in parliament. There has been considerable pressure on him from various leaders on this point.

The post would have given him Cabinet rank, help coordinate better with allies in the INDIA bloc and helped the Congress project a strong face by spearheading the Opposition attack on the BJP in the Lok Sabha.

But sources said Gandhi, who even stepped down from party chief’s post following the rout in 2019, is not keen on it. He has avoided taking up any post since, the sources added.