With great power comes great responsibility. This was the seen in Parliament when Rahul Gandhi walked in as the leader of the Opposition. As he assumed the responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition, he looked a different man. His attitude, presentation and the way he conducted himself set a different tone.
The first thing that came into notice was his appearance, which changed from modern to the stereotypical attire of any politician which was white kurta pajama.
Additionally, his expressions and speeches, everything was that of a serious and responsible leader. Although Rahul had initially tried wearing a kurta with pants, it did not work out, and his attire was frequently questioned.
When he was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition on Tuesday, he ensured he paid full attention to his appearance, even trimming his beard. As the Leader of the Opposition, he has many responsibilities alongside the government. Rahul Gandhi fulfilled his first responsibility in Parliament today with great decency.
Due to Rahul Gandhi’s insistence, a vote for the Speaker was held this time. However, the TMC made it clear they would not support the vote but would only participate in a voice vote.
Other allies soon followed TMC’s stance, leading Congress to withdraw its demand for a division vote.
Consequently, Birla was elected Speaker by voice vote. While Rahul Gandhi may not have succeeded in his first challenge, he did demonstrate his commitment to his role as the leader of the Opposition.
The atmosphere in the House seemed different, with Rahul shaking hands with Prime Minister Modi, perhaps signalling a change now that he is the leader of the opposition.
Rahul was also congratulated by other leaders in the House today. P
Previously, he attended the House as an MP, but now he will take on the responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition, which includes convincing allies on various issues.
So time shall unfold his attitude and the way he will see and handle the challenges ahead. His failure to take the Opposition into confidence during the Speaker’s election led to a lack of support from TMC.
TMC clearly stated in the morning that they would not participate in the voting, as they were displeased about not being consulted.
This stance was then supported by SP and DMK, who also insisted on a voice vote. Party spokesperson Jai Ram Ramesh issued a statement saying that Congress could have demanded a division of votes but chose to prioritize consensus and cooperation.
In rare gesture, PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi shake hands in Lok Sabha
NEW DELHI: In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday shook hands in the Lok Sabha just before they escorted Om Birla to the Chair after he was chosen as speaker of the Lower House.
Soon after pro-tem Speaker B Mahtab made the announcement of Birla’s election as the speaker, PM Modi went to the front benches where the Kota MP was seated.
Soon Gandhi also joined Modi. After shaking hands with Birla, Rahul extended a handshake to the prime minister which Modi reciprocated.
