Congress names Bengal MP Adhir Ranjan its leader in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: West Bengal MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is the new leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, a choice that appears to balance seniority with loyalty besides the fact that he has the aggressive nature required for the opposition benches. Congress also named its seven-term Dalit MP from Kerala, Kodikunnil Suresh, as the chief whip in the Lower House.
The twin appointments lifted the suspense given the intense speculation about the post in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's announcement that he intends to quit as Congress president. It was almost clear that Rahul would not take up the position, triggering a guessing game.
Crucially, after 2014, Congress again lacks the numbers in Lok Sabha to get the post of leader of opposition.
Chowdhury, a five-term MP, is a senior leader from Bengal who is also intensely anti-Trinamool Congress. While Congress has steadily lost political strength in the state, the MP has managed an unbroken victory from Berhampore constituency in Murshidabad district since 1999. He replaces Mallikarjuna Kharge who lost the recent Lok Sabha elections.