Congress readies to pick new LoP in Rajya Sabha if Kharge elected party chief

The Congress may have to find a new LoP in the Rajya Sabha if Mallikarjun Kharge, the incumbent LoP, is elected as the party president because of the party’s new one person, one post directive, leaders familiar with the matter said.

The Congress may have to find a new Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha if Mallikarjun Kharge, the incumbent LoP, is elected as the party president because of the party’s new one person, one post directive, leaders familiar with the matter said.

Mallikarjun Kharge is the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha.

While the selection process for Kharge’s successor in the Upper House will start only after the result of the Congress’s presidential election is out on October 19, the leaders indicated that Digivjaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik or Ranjit Ranjan may be the possible candidates.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had pitched the one person, one post formula last week ahead of the election for the Congress president. While it was originally said in the context of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot — a key choice for the party’s top post at the time, Kharge too might follow the same principle.

The Udaipur Chintan Shivir in April 2022 resolution had asked for implementation of the policy at all levels of the party. Kharge became the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House in February 2021 after the retirement of Ghulam Nabi Azad.

According to party insiders, Singh, who opted out of the race to support Kharge, might emerge as a possible successor to Kharge. “He doesn’t hold any organisational position and a leader from the Hindi belt can also act like a balancing factor,” said a leader, adding that senior party leader Mukul Wasnik may also be considered . Among women leaders, Ranjit Ranjan, a fierce orator from Bihar, or Gujarat’s former leader of the Opposition Shakti Sinh Gohil could also be considered, said a Congress leader from Rajya Sabha.