West Bengal MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to be Congress leader in Lok Sabha

Chowdhury is a five-time MP from West Bengal and has not lost the Lok Sabha election since 1999. He currently represents the Berhampore Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury/ Image: PTI

New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday named senior West Bengal leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury the leader of party in the Lok Sabha. Chowdhury’s name was decided after the party failed to convince Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the post. Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi has handed a letter announcing Adhir Ranjan’s name as the party’s leader in the Lower House to the Lok Sabha secretariat, sources said. Chowdhury is a five-time MP from West Bengal and has not lost the Lok Sabha election since 1999. He currently represents the Berhampore Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Though the party has not given an official confirmation for the West Bengal leader’s name, Congress leader Rajeev Satav wrote a congratulatory tweet for Chowdhury. "Congratulations & Best Wishes to @adhirrcinc ji on being elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Lok Sabha. I am confident that with your vast experience as a Parliamentarian & under your leadership @INCIndia will play the role of a constructive opposition," he tweeted.

Congratulations & Best Wishes to @adhirrcinc ji on being elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Lok Sabha. I am confident that with your vast experience as a Parliamentarian & under your leadership @INCIndia will play the role of a constructive opposition. pic.twitter.com/17gU4x9N5Z

— Rajeev Satav (@SATAVRAJEEV) June 18, 2019

Chowdhury has also been a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 1999. He has been the chief of the West Bengal Congress and was also the Minister of State for Railways during the UPA government from 2012 to 2014. When asked, Chowdhury said the issue of who would lead the Congress in the Lower House of Parliament was not discussed at a meeting of party leaders at Sonia Gandhi's residence. The Congress failed to get the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as it did not get the benchmark 10 per cent seats required to stake claim for the post. This is the second time in a row that the grand old party has failed to get the post. Chowdhury's fighting spirit has helped him win the confidence of his party. Mallikarjun Kharge 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.