Mallikarjun Kharge to lead Congress coordination efforts

The move comes amid speculation about the party replacing LS leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

In a significant departure, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has deputed Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, instead of the party's Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, to lead the coordination with other Opposition parties. At a meeting of Congress’s Parliamentary Strategy Group on Wednesday evening, sources said, Ms. Gandhi expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s coordination with the other like-minded parties during the Parliament session. “She has assigned the responsibility to Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. Usually this charge remains with the floor leader in the Lok Sabha,” a senior party functionary said.