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Kharge to lead Congress in LS
KV Prasad
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 2
The Congress today announced senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge as the Leader of the party in the Lok Sabha. The 72-year-old leader represents the Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency and has the distinction of having been both a Deputy Leader and Leader of the Opposition in his home state Karnataka.

Kharge, who was the Minister for Railways and Labour and Employment during the UPA-II regime, said the Congress would not oppose the government and its policies just because it was on the other side of the aisle.

Kharge is a Dalit and will be taking up a challenging job in the 16th Lok Sabha on behalf of a party that has just 44 members. Although there was talk of former Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath being the front-runner for the post, opposition within the party over his nomination ended his chances. The move also signals the reluctance of Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi to be a more pro-active Opposition leader.

It is not yet clear whether Kharge would be accorded the status of the Leader of the Opposition, since the Congress does not have 10 per cent membership in the 543-strong House.