New Delhi: Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has been nominated as the leader of the House in the Lok Sabha, official sources said today (May 27, 2004).

The nomination was made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the sources said, adding that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has conveyed the Prime Minister's decision through a letter to Mukherjee.

The Lok Sabha secretariat has also been informed by Azad of this decision, the sources said.

Azad, in his communication to outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi said, "The Prime Minister has directed me to inform you that he has nominated Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Defence as the Leader of the House."

Mukherjee, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha, was given this key position since Singh is a member of the Rajya Sabha, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma said.

Asked whether this is a temporary arrangement, Sharma said he had no knowledge about it.