Consider the following statements :
- 1.In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swatantra Party.
- 2.In the Lok Sabha, a “Leader of the Opposition” was recognised for the first time in 1969.
- 3.In the Lok Sabha, if a party does not have a minimum of 75 members, its leader cannot be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Show answer
Answer: B. Statement 1 is wrong: the largest opposition party in the first Lok Sabha (1952) was the CPI; the Swatantra Party was founded only in 1959. Statement 2 is correct: Ram Subhag Singh was recognised as the first Leader of the Opposition in 1969. Statement 3 is wrong: by convention the party needs one-tenth of the House (about 55 members), not 75. So only 2.
Watch for: The well-known 10% rule tempts students to accept any number; check the actual figure (55, not 75).
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the Swatantra Party did not exist in 1952 and the 75-member figure is incorrect.
- C. Wrong because the threshold is 10% of the House (55 seats), not 75 members.
- D. Wrong because statements 1 and 3 are both false.
Source to check: Lok Sabha Secretariat publication on Leaders of the Opposition; Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.