Five-time WB MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to be Congress leader in Lok Sabha

Chowdhury's name was cleared by the top party leadership after which a letter of his appointment was handed over to the Lok Sabha secretariat

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi 

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury at an event | Photo: Twitter

Five-time MP from West Bengal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, will be the party leader in the Lok Sabha, top party sources said Tuesday.

Chowdhury's name was cleared by the top party leadership after which a letter of his appointment was handed over to the secretariat, they said.

The party, however, remained tight-lipped officially on his appointment.

Chaudhary too feigned ignorance about his appointment.

Asked about his appointment, he said the issue of who would lead the in the Lower House of Parliament was not discussed in the party leaders' meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence this morning.

Chowdhury was part of the top leaders' meeting at Gandhi's residence.

The meeting was also attended by, among others, party leader K Suresh from Kerala, who too is likely to get an important role.

The Congress failed to secure the post of Leader of Opposition in the as it did not get the requisite 10 per cent seats in the House required for the post.

This is for the second time in a row that the has failed to get the post.

Chowdhury is a five-time MP from West Bengal and has not lost the election since 1999.

He currently represents the Berhampore Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

Chowdhury has also been a member of the West Bengal assembly from 1996 to 1999.

He has been the chief of the West Bengal Congress, besides also being the minister of state for railways between 2012 and 2014 during the government.

Chowdhury's fighting spirit helped him win the party's confidence, said sources.

was the leader of the Congress in the previous Lok Sabha but he lost the election this time, forcing the party to decide on another name.

First Published: Tue, June 18 2019. 18:16 IST