Taking the fight to the ruling BJP-led NDA, Rahul Gandhi has accepted a decision by the Congress Working Committee and will take up the mantle of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

While Wednesday's election - the first for the Speaker's post in decades is likely to be only a symbolic one since it requires a simple majority of 272 MPs and the NDA, which has 293 on its own, has also got the support of the YSR Congress' 4 MPs, it is about the opposition signalling that things in Parliament will not remain as they were in 2014 and 2019.

The move to make Rahul Gandhi, who is arguably the Congress' most popular face, the Leader of the Opposition is also being seen as a step in that direction because this is the first time since 2014 that any opposition party has managed to cross the figure of 54 (10% of the Lok Sabha's strength) needed to stake claim to the post. Besides getting a cabinet rank, the Leader of the Opposition post will enable Gandhi to strongly take up the issues of the people and the INDIA bloc at a time when the opposition parties are at their strongest in a decade.

These are expected to include the alleged paper leaks in various examinations, including NEET-UG, the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the Army

As Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi will be part of key panels like those to select Election Commissioners and the CBI director -along with . The constitutional post will also give him an opportunity to call on visiting heads of state to give his perspective on national issues.