Rahul Gandhi’s big test as India’s opposition leader

BBC:

Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party has been appointed leader of the opposition in India’s parliament, filling a post that had been empty for a decade.

It’s the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s main rival has held a constitutional role since he joined politics in 2004.

Mr Gandhi will now sit on committees that make key appointments and act as a counterbalance to the prime minister.

Since 2014, no opposition party had won 10% or 55 of the 543 seats required to claim the post, but Congress took 99 seats in the recent general election.

Mr Modi remains in power with help from allies, but his party fell short of a majority after two consecutive landslides.

The Congress party said Mr Gandhi would ensure the government was held to account at all times.

Some observers say his appointment heralds a positive change for India’s democracy – the opposition has repeatedly accused the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of authoritarianism, a charge it denies.

“This is going to be a turbulent parliament and the opposition is going to take the government to task,” political commentator Neerja Chowdhury told the BBC.

Ms Chowdhury said the role would also test Mr Gandhi’s mettle as a leader.

Although he has been in politics for more than 25 years, and an MP for five terms – he has never been a minister or won a general election for his party.

“He’ll have to lead from the front and make sure there are no ruffled feathers, within his party or the opposition bloc,” Ms Chowdhury said. “He will be accountable for what goes wrong and what goes right.”