Sushil Kumar Shinde likely to replace Pranab Mukherjee as Lok Sabha leader

NEW DELHI: Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is the frontrunner for the post of the leader of the House in the Lok Sabha, a post vacated by Pranab Mukherjee. Congress Sources said Shinde was seen by the leadership as best suited for the post.

Shinde has a good rapport with the Opposition leaders too. With political contest spilling into the floor of Parliament, Congress will need a reconciling personality as its leader.

Other senior Congress leaders, such as P Chidambaram, have been targets of attack of the Opposition. It be recalled that NDA went to the extent of boycotting the home minister in Parliament.

Some Congress leaders feel Shinde could face trouble as he had recently deposed before a commission probing the Adarsh scam. He was Maharashtra chief minister from 2001-03 when many clearances were given for the housing project.

Congress leaders, however, maintained there were no specific charges against Shinde. The Adarsh panel, they claimed, was satisfied with the power minister's response.