Congress retains Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh as Lok Sabha deputy leader, chief whip
The Congress has also renominated Manickam Tagore as a whip while it has brought its Kishanganj MP Md. Jawaid as another whip in the Lok Sabha
The Congress has reappointed Gaurav Gogoi as its deputy leader in the Lok Sabha while retained Kodikunnil Suresh, serving his eighth term in the Lower House, as its chief whip. They will be assisting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for floor coordination and other issues in the Lok Sabha.
The party has also renominated Manickam Tagore as a whip while it has brought its Kishanganj MP Md. Jawaid as another whip.
“Hon’ble CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji has written to the Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker informing him about the appointment of the Deputy Leader, Chief Whip, and two Whips for the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha. Deputy Leader - Shri @GauravGogoiAsm. Chief Whip - Shri @kodikunnilMP, Whips - 1. Shri
@manickamtagore and 2. @DrMdJawaid1,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced on X on Sunday.
“Guided by LOP Shri @RahulGandhi ji, the Congress and INDIA parties will energetically champion the people’s causes in the Lok Sabha,” Venugopal added.
The choice of leaders in the party’s core team in the Lower House underlines a preference for continuity-- a theme prevalent in setting up of the new council of ministers for the third term of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the Congress also tried to maintain a regional balance: Suresh and Tagore from South India, Jawaid from north and with Gogoi, an MP representing Northeast.
Jawaid, the only new face in this team, is the party’s working president in Bihar and one of the three Congress MPs from Bihar in 2024. Jawaid also has rich legislative experience being a four-term MLA, a former minister and a two-term MP.
In the 17th Lok Sabha, Ravneet Singh Bittu was the second whip of the Congress party. Before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he had joined the BJP.
Two senior leaders indicated that the Congress is likely to retain its current team led by LoP and party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha team has been reconstituted a week before the monsoon session of the Lok Sabha. The first session was a tumultuous one with massive protests, walkouts and an all-out attack against each other. Rahul Gandhi had accused the BJP of being fake Hindus, provoking Modi to launch a frontal attack on Gandhi.