List of leaders of the opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly
| Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
 | |
| Member of | |
| Nominator | Members of Official Opposition |
| Appointer | Speaker of Punjab assembly |
| Term length | Five years, No restriction on renewal |
| Inaugural holder | Gopi Chand Bhargava |
| Formation | 6 April 1937; 88 years, 18 days ago |
| Deputy | Aruna Chaudhary (since 3 September 2024) |
The leader of the opposition is the politician who leads the official opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The leader of the opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically seen as an alternative prime minister, premier, first minister, or chief minister to the incumbent; in the Westminster system, they head a rival alternative government known as the shadow cabinet or opposition front bench.[1][2] The same term is also used to refer to the leader of the largest political party that is not in government in subnational state, provincial, and other regional and local legislatures. The incumbent leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly is Partap Singh Bajwa of Indian National Congress, while Aruna Chaudhary is his deputy.
Official Opposition
[edit]Official Opposition[3] is a term used in Punjab Legislative Assembly to designate the political party which has secured the second largest number of seats Punjab assembly. In order to get formal recognition, the party must have at least 10% of total membership of the Legislative Assembly. A single party has to meet the 10% seat criterion, not an alliance. Many of the Indian state legislatures also follows this 10% rule while the rest of them prefer single largest opposition party according to the rules of their respective houses. Punjab Legislative Assembly appointed the member of the second largest party as Leader of opposition.[4]
Role
[edit]The Opposition's main role is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable to the public. The Opposition is equally responsible in upholding the best interests of the people of the country. They have to ensure that the Government does not take any steps, which might have negative effects on the people of the country.[5]
The role of the opposition in legislature is basically to check the excesses of the ruling or dominant party, and not to be totally antagonistic. There are actions of the ruling party which may be beneficial to the masses and opposition is expected to support such steps.[6]
In legislature, Opposition Party has a major role and must act to discourage the party in power from acting against the interests of the country and the common man. They are expected to alert the population and the Government on the content of any Bill, which is not in the best interests of the country.
History
[edit]After Independence
[edit]Till now, 18 people served as leaders of the opposition in the Punjab assembly. Gopal Singh Khalsa was the first leader of the opposition in the first Punjab assembly as in the Interim assembly, there was no opposition as all non-Congress members who were elected in the 1946 election joined Congress after the partition.[7] He was also the first Dalit who became the leader of the opposition. The other Dalit leaders of the opposition in Punjab were Jagjit Singh, Satnam Singh Kainth and Charanjit Singh Channi. Out of 18, Prakash Singh Badal and Gurnam Singh served thrice, while Rajinder Kaur Bhattal served twice, and all others served only once. Gurbinder Kaur Brar was the first female leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly, and the other was Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. Prakash Singh Badal was the longest-serving leader of the opposition, while Harvinder Singh Phoolka served the shortest. Balram Jakhar and Sunil Kumar Jakhar was the father-son duo served the post.
Gurnam Singh, Parkash Singh Badal, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Charanjit Singh Channi also served as the Leader of the House.
There were a total of 11 occasions when the post remained vacant. Out of these, 3 occassions were when opposition was not present in the assembly, while other 8 occassions were when assembly was either under suspension or dissolved due to various reasons. In former case, 2 out of 3 times, opposition members actully joined the governnment under some agreements and in the remaining 1 case, opposition resingned from the assembly because of Supreme Court of India's decision on Sutlej Yamuna link canal issue.
Color keys
[edit]Color keys for the party of leaders of the opposition
Other keys
- Vancacy due to dissolution of assembly
- Vancacy due to absence of opposition in assembly
- Vancacy due to suspension of assembly
List of leaders of the opposition
[edit]Before independence (1937–1947)
[edit]| S.No. | Portrait | Name (birth-death) (Constituency) |
Tenure | Party | Election | Government | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Premier | Party | |||||||
| 1 | 
|
Gopi Chand Bhargava (1899–1966) (Lahore City) |
5 April 1937 | 1940 | Indian National Congress | 1937 | Sikandar Hayat Khan (1937–1942) Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana |
Unionist Party | ||
| 2 | 
|
Bhim Sen Sachar (1894–1978) (N-W Town) |
1940 | 5 February 1945 | ||||||
| – | Vacant (Assembly under dissolution) |
5 February 1945 | 21 March 1946 | - | ||||||
| 3 | .png)
|
Iftikhar Hussain Khan (1906–1969) (Ferozpur General) |
21 March 1946 | 2 March 1947 | All-India Muslim League | 1946 | Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana | Unionist Party | ||
| – | Vacant (Assembly under dissolution) |
2 March 1947 | 15 August 1947 | - | ||||||
After independence (since 1947)
[edit]| S.No. | Portrait | Name (birth-death) (Constituency) |
Tenure | Party | Election (Assembly) |
Government | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Duration | Chief Minister | Party | |||||||
| – | Vacant (No official opposition) |
15 August 1947 | 20 June 1951 | 3 years, 309 days | – | 1946 (Interim) |
Gopi Chand Bhargava (1947–1949) (1949–1951) Bhim Sen Sachar |
Indian National Congress | |||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under dissolution) |
20 June 1951 | 17 April 1952 | 302 days | - | ||||||
| 1 | 
|
Gopal Singh Khalsa (1903–1979) (Jagraon) |
17 April 1952 | 11 April 1956 | 3 years, 360 days | Shiromani Akali Dal | 1952 (First) |
Bhim Sen Sachar (1952–1956) Partap Singh Kairon |
Indian National Congress | ||
| – | Vacant[b] (No official opposition) |
11 April 1956 | 9 April 1957 | 363 days | – | ||||||
| 2 | 
|
Baldev Prakash (1922–1992) (Amritsar City East) |
9 April 1957 | 11 March 1962 | 4 years, 336 days | Bharatiya Jana Sangh | 1957 (Second) |
Partap Singh Kairon | |||
| 3 | .jpg)
|
Gurnam Singh (1899–1973) (Raikot) |
11 March 1962 | 5 July 1966 | 4 years, 116 days | Shiromani Akali Dal | 1962 (Third) |
Partap Singh Kairon (1956–1964) Gopi Chand Bhargava Ram Kishan | |||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under suspension) |
5 July 1966 | 1 November 1966 | 119 days | – | – | |||||
| (3) |
|
Gurnam Singh (1899–1973) (Raikot) |
1 November 1966 | 8 March 1967 | 127 days | Shiromani Akali Dal | Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir | Indian National Congress | |||
| 4 | 
|
Gian Singh Rarewala (1901–1979) (Payal) |
9 March 1967 | 24 November 1967 | 260 days | Indian National Congress | 1967 (Fourth) |
Gurnam Singh | Akali Dal – Sant Fateh Singh Group | ||
| (3) |
|
Gurnam Singh (1899–1973) (Qila Raipur) |
24 November 1967 | 23 August 1968 | 273 days | Akali Dal – Sant Fateh Singh Group | Lachhman Singh | Punjab Janata Party | |||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under dissolution) |
23 August 1968 | 17 February 1969 | 178 days | – | ||||||
| 5 | 
|
Harinder Singh (1917–1972) (Ajnala) |
17 February 1969 | 14 June 1971 | 2 years, 117 days | Indian National Congress | 1969 (Fifth) |
Gurnam Singh (1969–1970) Parkash Singh Badal |
Shiromani Akali Dal | ||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under dissolution) |
14 June 1971 | 16 March 1972 | 276 days | – | ||||||
| 6 | 
|
Jaswinder Singh Brar (1938–1993) (Kotkapura) |
16 March 1972 | 2 October 1972 | 200 days | Shiromani Akali Dal | 1972 (Sixth) |
Zail Singh | Indian National Congress | ||
| 7 | 
|
Parkash Singh Badal (1927–2023) (Gidderbaha) |
2 October 1972 | 30 April 1977 | 4 years, 210 days | ||||||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under dissolution) |
30 April 1977 | 19 June 1977 | 50 days | – | ||||||
| 8 | 
|
Balram Jakhar (1923–2016) (Abohar) |
19 June 1977 | 17 February 1980 | 2 years, 243 days | Indian National Congress | 1977 (Seventh) |
Parkash Singh Badal | Shiromani Akali Dal | ||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under dissolution) |
17 February 1980 | 7 June 1980 | 111 days | – | ||||||
| (7) |
|
Parkash Singh Badal (1927–2023) (Gidderbaha) |
7 June 1980 | 7 October 1983 | 3 years, 122 days | Shiromani Akali Dal | 1980 (Eighth) |
Darbara Singh | Indian National Congress | ||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under dissolution) |
7 October 1983 | 29 September 1985 | 1 year, 357 days | – | ||||||
| 9 | 
|
Gurbinder Kaur Brar (1922–2013) (Muktsar) |
29 September 1985 | 11 May 1987 | 1 year, 224 days | Indian National Congress | 1985 (Ninth) |
Surjit Singh Barnala | Shiromani Akali Dal | ||
| – | Vacant[a] (President's rule) (Assembly under dissolution) |
11 May 1987 | 25 February 1992 | 4 years, 290 days | – | ||||||
| 10 | 
|
Satnam Singh Kainth (1961–2018) (Phillaur) |
25 February 1992 | 12 February 1997 | 4 years, 353 days | Bahujan Samaj Party | 1992 (Tenth) |
Beant Singh (1992–1995) Harcharan Singh Brar Rajinder Kaur Bhattal |
Indian National Congress | ||
| 11 | 
|
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (b. 1945) (Lehra) |
12 February 1997 | 10 October 1998 | 1 year, 240 days | Indian National Congress | 1997 (Eleventh) |
Parkash Singh Badal | Shiromani Akali Dal | ||
| 12 | .jpg)
|
Jagjit Singh (1934–2015) (Kartarpur) |
10 October 1998 | 26 February 2002 | 3 years, 139 days | ||||||
| (7) | 
|
Parkash Singh Badal (1927–2023) (Lambi) |
26 February 2002 | 1 March 2007 | 5 years, 3 days | Shiromani Akali Dal | 2002 (Twelfth) |
Amarinder Singh | Indian National Congress | ||
| (11) |
|
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (b. 1945) (Lehra) |
1 March 2007 | 14 March 2012 | 5 years, 13 days | Indian National Congress | 2007 (Thirteen) |
Parkash Singh Badal | Shiromani Akali Dal | ||
| 13 | 
|
Sunil Kumar Jakhar (b. 1954) (Abohar) |
19 March 2012 | 11 December 2015 | 3 years, 267 days | 2012 (Fourteen) | |||||
| 14 | 
|
Charanjit Singh Channi (b. 1963) (Chamkaur Sahib) |
11 December 2015 | 11 November 2016 | 336 days | ||||||
| – | Vacant[c] (No official opposition) |
11 November 2016 | 16 March 2017 | 125 days | – | ||||||
| 15 | 
|
Harvinder Singh Phoolka (b. 1955) (Dakha) |
16 March 2017 | 20 July 2017 | 126 days | Aam Admi Party | 2017 (Fifteen) |
Amarinder Singh | Indian National Congress | ||
| 16 | 
|
Sukhpal Singh Khaira (b. 1965) (Bolath) |
20 July 2017 | 26 July 2018 | 1 year, 6 days | ||||||
| 17 | .jpg)
|
Harpal Singh Cheema (b. 1974) (Dirba) |
27 July 2018 | 16 March 2022 | 3 years, 232 days | Amarinder Singh (2017–2021) Charanjit Singh Channi | |||||
| 18 |
|
Pratap Singh Bajwa (b. 1957) (Quadian) |
9 April 2022 | Incumbent | 3 years, 15 days | Indian National Congress | 2022 (Sixteen) |
Bhagwant Mann | Aam Admi Party | ||
Statistics
[edit]List of leader of the opposition by their tenure
[edit]| # | Chief Minister | Total terms | Party | Term of office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longest continuous term | Total duration of leadership | |||||
| 1 | Parkash Singh Badal | 3 | SAD | 5 years, 3 days | 12 years, 335 days | |
| 2 | Rajinder Kaur Bhattal | 2 | INC | 5 years, 13 days | 6 years, 253 days | |
| 3 | Gurnam Singh | 3 | SAD/ADSFG | 4 years, 116 days | 5 years, 148 days | |
| 4 | Satnam Singh Kainth | 1 | BSP | 4 years, 353 days | 4 years, 353 days | |
| 5 | Baldev Prakash | 1 | ABJS | 4 years, 336 days | 4 years, 336 days | |
| 6 | Gopal Singh Khalsa | 1 | SAD | 3 years, 360 days | 3 years, 360 days | |
| 7 | Sunil Kumar Jakhar | 1 | INC | 3 years, 267 days | 3 years, 267 days | |
| 8 | Harpal Singh Cheema | 1 | AAP | 3 years, 232 days | 3 years, 232 days | |
| 9 | Jagjit Singh | 1 | INC | 3 years, 139 days | 3 years, 139 days | |
| 10 | Pratap Singh Bajwa* | 1* | INC | 3 years, 15 days* | 3 years, 15 days* | |
| 11 | Balram Jakhar | 1 | INC | 2 years, 243 days | 2 years, 243 days | |
| 12 | Harinder Singh | 1 | INC | 2 years, 117 days | 2 years, 117 days | |
| 13 | Gurbinder Kaur Brar | 1 | INC | 1 year, 224 days | 1 year, 224 days | |
| 14 | Sukhpal Singh Khaira | 1 | AAP | 1 year, 6 days | 1 year, 6 days | |
| 15 | Charanjit Singh Channi | 1 | INC | 336 days | 336 days | |
| 16 | Gian Singh Rarewala | 1 | INC | 260 days | 260 days | |
| 17 | Jaswinder Singh Brar | 1 | SAD | 200 days | 200 days | |
| 18 | Harvinder Singh Phoolka | 1 | AAP | 126 days | 126 days | |
| – | Vacant (No official opposition) | 3 | – | 3 years, 309 days | 5 years, 67 days | |
| – | President rule | 8 | – | 4 years, 259 days | 9 years, 223 days | |
Deputy leader of the opposition
[edit] | This is not a comprehensive list and based on information received from news articles, Punjab assembly debates and Punjab assembly compendium. Thus, the serial number is not mentioned. |
| Name (constituency) |
Tenure | Party | Leader of Opposition | Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devi Lal (Fatehabad) |
11 March 1962 | 5 July 1966 | Independent | Gurnam Singh | 3rd | |
| 1 November 1966 | 8 March 1967 | |||||
| Rattan Singh (Garshankar) |
9 March 1967 | 24 November 1967 | Indian National Congress | Gian Singh Rarewala | 4th | |
| Sardari Lal Kapoor (Ludhiana North) |
17 February 1969 | 1970 | Indian National Congress | Major Harinder Singh | 5th | |
| Surjit Singh Atwal (Phillaur) |
1970 | 14 June 1971 | ||||
| Umrao Singh (Nakodar) |
19 June 1977 | 17 February 1980 | Indian National Congress | Balram Jakhar | 7th | |
| Nirmal Singh Nimma (Bhadaur) |
25 February 1992 | 12 February 1997 | Bahujan Samaj Party | Satnam Singh Kainth | 10th | |
| Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Ludhiana West) |
11 December 2015 | 11 November 2016 | Indian National Congress | Charanjit Singh Channi | 14th | |
| Sarvjit Kaur Manuke (Jagraon) |
16 March 2017 | 16 March 2022 | Aam Admi Party | Harvinder Singh Phoolka, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Harpal Singh Cheema |
15th | |
| Raj Kumar Chabbewal (Chabbewal) |
9 April 2022 | 15 March 2024 | Indian National Congress | Partap Singh Bajwa | 16th | |
| Aruna Chaudhary (Dinanagar) |
3 September 2024 | Incumbent | ||||
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h President's rule may be imposed when the "government in a state is not able to function as per the Constitution", which often happens because no party or coalition has a majority in the assembly. When President's rule is in force in a state, its council of ministers stands dissolved. The office of chief minister thus lies vacant, and the administration is taken over by the governor, who functions on behalf of the central government. At times, the legislative assembly also stands dissolved.[8]
- ^ All opposition members joined the Government.
- ^ All opposition members resigned against SYL canal issue.
References
[edit]- ^ "How the UK Parliament Works" (PDF). UK Parliament. June 2022. p. 4. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "Leader of the Opposition". Parliamentary Education Office (Australia). 22 December 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977". Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ^ Salary and Allowances of Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Act 1978
- ^ Role of Leader of Opposition in India
- ^ Role of Opposition in Parliament of India
- ^ Electoral politics in Punjab. (Pdf) P. 36-37. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ Amberish K. Diwanji. "A dummy's guide to President's rule". Rediff.com. 15 March 2005.