India’s Rahul Gandhi comes of age as a leader

August 5, 2024

NEW DELHI – How well has Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, performed as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament? Nobel laureate Professor Amartya Sen recently talked about Rahul’s progress since his time at Cambridge University. Sen said that Rahul has matured a lot over the years and pointed out that his actual test would be how he leads the Opposition in Parliament.

Riding on the recent success in the Lok Sabha polls, Rahul has been confident and forceful inside and outside the house, fitting for the Leader of the Opposition. His parents, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, also held the same positions during their time and did well. Rahul assumed his first constitutional role – as a LOP – 25 years after he entered politics in 2004. There has been no LoP in the Lok Sabha for the past ten years, as no party secured the required numbers to claim the post in the previous two Lok Sabhas.

During the recent budget session, the first after Rahul became the LOP, he took a vital leadership role within his party and the Opposition. Since becoming the Leader of the Opposition, he has taken on more responsibilities. He now leads and represents the Opposition’s viewpoint on various subjects. This is a new role for him. He organised protests, delivered powerful speeches against the Modi government, and worked closely with allies to coordinate their efforts on the floor.

He also focused on critical issues for the people and made himself more accessible. Rahul’s backroom office has a dozen key members who handle all aspects of his leadership, helping him in his new role. The team, including General Secretary K.C.Venugopal, Sam Pitroda, Sunil Kanugolu, K. Buju, B. Srivatsa, Manickam Tagore, Alankar Sawai and Kaushal