LoP issue: Sonia Gandhi holds meeting with party MPs

New Delhi, July 8: A day after making a strong pitch for her party being given the post of Leader of Opposition,

President

today held a meeting with party MPs in Lok Sabha.

The meeting comes after UPA MPs decided to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan seeking an immediate decision on the issue. Party leaders said that Gandhi's meeting with the MPs was informal in nature. Congress had said yesterday that the letter is ready and will be sent to the Speaker after signatures of all UPA MPs.

"We are the single largest party. We have got a pre-poll alliance. Hence, we are entitled to Leader of Opposition's post," Gandhi, who is also CPP Chairperson, had said yesterday. Congress has already asserted that it would exercise all options to ensure a "democratically correct, logical conclusion" on the issue and has not ruled out the option of approaching the court on the matter.

Party leaders have been critical of the role of the Speaker and former Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath has even charged that Mahajan's decision regarding the Leader of the Opposition's post could be "flavoured" by BJP.

The party is also doubting the intentions of the Government. It is alleging that the government is attempting to subvert the appointments of Lokpal, CVC and other key posts by denying the LoP status to Congress.

"Government's intention is not correct. The thinking is undemocratic... Government is trying to subvert the appointments of Lokpal, CVC and other key posts by denying the LoP status to Congress. We will not allow that to happen. We will take all the steps in Parliament and agitate on whatever forum is available. But let the reply of the Speaker come first," party spokesman Anand Sharma had said.

Congress has 44 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

PTI