NEW DELHI: Contrary to the speculations that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi could be the party leader in the Lower House, party on Tuesday announced that five-time Congress MP from West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury would be the party leader in the Lok Sabha.
The MP from West Bengal was selected to lead the party in the Lok Sabha after a long meeting of the Parliamentary Core Committee that was chaired by Congress Legislature Party chief Sonia Gandhi and also attended by Rahul Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh.
The question of a Lok Sabha leader opened up after the party's senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge lost the election.
Congress failed to win the requisite 10 per cent of the seats of the Lok Sabha to be eligible for the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lower House. It is the second time in a row when the Grand Old Party has won less than 10 per cent of the total seats of the Lok Sabha.
The Congress won only 51 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.