New Delhi: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the decision on the issue of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha should be based on set rules and norms. “The rule that a party needs 10 percent member strength to be the main opposition party stands since the time of (first Lok Sabha speaker) GV Mavalankar. The Congress has 44 members in the Lok Sabha, second to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 280 members. However, the Congress falls short of the 10 percent mark or 55 members in the 545 member house which the ruling BJP has cited as mandatory as per rules for getting the Leader of Opposition status. Prasad, however, said the final decision will be taken only by the speaker.
“The decision will be taken only by the speaker. The decision taken by the Lok Sabha speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairman are quoted for future reference,” he said. Asked about the Congress statement that, the party may go to court if not given the Leader of Opposition post, the minister said, “Anyone can go to court in India.” Prasad took a jibe at the Congress and said, “The energy and hard work they are focusing on getting the Leader of Opposition post, if they would have focused it on how they got reduced to 44, it would have helped them more.” Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday said the party was entitled to the post as it was the second largest party in the lower house.
