Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is set to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today. Kharge will participate in the oath-taking event in his capacity as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, according to media reports.
The decision of Mallikarjun Kharge to attend the ceremony comes after consultations with several I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders held yesterday. However, the Trinamool Congress, another I.N.D.I.A. bloc partner, has declined to participate. Similarly, Bharat Raksha Samithi (BRS) chief K. Chandrashekar Rao has also opted out of the swearing-in event.
Following a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday, there was an urge for Rahul Gandhi to assume the role of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Responding to this, Rahul Gandhi mentioned that he would make a decision about it “very soon.”
In a significant development, Sonia Gandhi, the senior Congress leader, was elected as the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party by the newly-elected Rajya Sabha MPs at a meeting convened in the Central Hall of Parliament on June 8.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal emphasized the CWC’s stance, stating, “Rahul Gandhi is the best person to lead this campaign inside the Parliament… the entire CWC feels for a better and strong vigilant Opposition, those who want to protect the Constitution also, should be safe under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi as a Leader of Opposition, this is what the CWC resolution is.”
Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi is poised to take the oath today at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for a third consecutive term at 7:15 PM. Following BJP’s inability to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Modi will now lead a coalition government in alliance with TDP and JD (U).