Gov't to amend Lokpal & to explain Leader of Opposition selection to SC after Cong trouncing

Gov't to amend Lokpal & to explain Leader of Opposition selection to SC after Cong trouncing

The Supreme Court told the government that it should explain within four weeks how the “leader of opposition” post should be interpreted under the Lokpal Act, since the Congress party lost to the BJP so badly that it can’t muster enough members in the Lok Sabha to count as an opposition. 55 MPs was stipulated by speaker Sumitra Mahajan as a minimum required to be allowed to choose a leader of the opposition in the house. NDTV.

India Today reported that the Supreme Court “made it clear that if the government fails to resolve LoP issue, the court may give a larger interpretation to the term LoP so that it may include leader of the largest party or leader of the larger group”, as attorney general Mukul Rohatgi said the government would review and seek to amend certain provisions of the Lokpal Act.

Furthermore, the apex court questioned why none of the nine members of the Lokpal have been appointed to date.