By Salil Saroj Role and Relevance: New Delhi email: [email protected] The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Phone: 9968638267 Salil Saroj the Treasury Bench, and essential for the effective operation of democratic Government. In performing his duties and obligations, the Leader of the Opposition has to take into account not only what he is today but what he hopes to be tomorrow. In India, Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are accorded statutory recognition. The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977, defines the Leader of the Opposition, in relation to either House of Parliament, as member of the Council of States or the House of the People, as the case may be, who is, for the time being, the Leader in that House of the party in Opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength and recognized as such by the Chairman of the Council of States or the Speaker of the House of the People, as the case may be. In the explanation to the said definition it has been clarified that where there are two or more parties in Opposition to the Government, in the Council of States or in the House of the People, having the same numerical strength, the Chairman of the Council of States or the Speaker of the House of the People, as the case maybe, shall, having regard to the status of the parties, recognize any one of the leaders of such parties as the Leader of the Opposition for the purposes of this section and such recognition shall be final and conclusive. A TO Z INDIA ● JANUARY 2023 ● PAGE 13