Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who has served as Haryana's Chief Minister twice, has become the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly for the fourth time. The BJP government in the state was formed on October 17 last year. During this period, three sessions of the Assembly were conducted without a Leader of Opposition.
Chandigarh: Senior Haryana Congress leader and two-time Chief Minister of the state, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has been elected as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Haryana Assembly for the fourth time. Congress MLAs had passed a resolution proposing Hooda's name, which was approved by the party high command. With this, Hooda will receive cabinet minister status and accommodation in Chandigarh. Hooda stated that there has been no delay in his appointment as Leader of Opposition and that efforts to strengthen the Congress organization will continue.
Congress Legislative Party Passed Resolution
Seven Haryana Congress MLAs—Chaudhary Aftab Ahmed, Geeta Bhukkal, Induraj Narwal, Jassi Petwad, Devender Hans, Balram Dangi, and Vikas Saharan—submitted a letter to Assembly Speaker Harwinder Kalyan on September 30, proposing Bhupinder Hooda as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party. This letter was submitted on the instructions of Haryana Congress President Rao Narender.
There are a total of 37 Congress MLAs in the Haryana Assembly, along with two INLD MLAs. Out of the total 90 seats in the Assembly, BJP has 48 MLAs, supported by three independent MLAs. As the largest opposition party, the leader of the Congress Legislative Party was thus appointed as the Leader of Opposition.
Facilities Provided to the Leader of Opposition
In Haryana, there is a special legal provision for the salary and allowances of the Leader of Opposition. The leader holding this position receives cabinet minister status along with a bungalow, vehicle, office, staff, and attendants. Additionally, there is a dedicated office for the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Secretariat. Hooda will be allocated bungalow number 70 in Sector 7, Chandigarh, where he has been residing for the past year.
Hooda has been elected as an MLA for the sixth time from the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi assembly constituency in Rohtak district. He has now become the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly for the fourth time. Previously, he held this position in August 2002, September 2019, and November 2019. In September 2019, he served as Leader of Opposition for only one and a half months. Besides Hooda, former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has also served as Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly twice.
Law and Salary-Allowances
In Haryana, the Leader of Opposition is defined under Section 2(D) of the Assembly (Salaries, Allowances and Pensions of Members) Act, 1975. According to this Act, the Leader of Opposition is a member recognized by the Speaker. Section 4 specifically mentions the salary, allowances, and other facilities of the Leader of Opposition. The leader holding this position holds a status equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister in Haryana. Furthermore, the state government pays the income tax on the salary and allowances of the Leader of Opposition, enabling them to discharge their responsibilities without any financial concerns.
Hooda's Statement
'There has been no delay in my appointment as Leader of Opposition. All Congress MLAs had passed a one-line resolution entrusting the high command with the authority to appoint any MLA as Leader of Opposition. The organization could not be built for 11 years, but now all district presidents have been appointed, and Rao Narender has been appointed as the state president. Our outgoing state president Chaudhary Udaybhan did good work, and the Congress's vote share increased by 11 percent. Now Rao Narender will strengthen the Congress organization. I express my gratitude to the Congress high command for my appointment as the leader of the legislative party.'
With Bhupinder Hooda's appointment, a b leadership for the opposition in the Haryana Assembly is now ensured. The Leader of Opposition plays a crucial role not only in legislative activities but also in monitoring government policies, fostering democratic debate, and safeguarding public interest.
