The 18th Lok Sabha’s first session is set to commence on Monday, featuring the oath-taking ceremony for newly-elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This session is anticipated to be contentious as the opposition plans to challenge the BJP-led NDA government on several issues, including the election of the Speaker on June 26, allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and the controversy surrounding the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker.
President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to BJP lawmaker Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker. Following this, Mr. Mahtab will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take his oath as a member of the House.
The election of the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for June 26, and on June 27, President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint session of both houses of Parliament.
This session marks the first meeting of the 18th Lok Sabha following the general elections, where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 293 seats and the INDIA bloc secured 234, with the Congress holding 99 of those seats.
Additionally, a meeting of the newly elected Congress MPs is set for 10 am today at the CPP office in Parliament.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have criticized the BJP following alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, expressing their support for the affected students.
The controversy over the appointment of Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker continues, with the opposition arguing that senior Congress member K Suresh was overlooked. Congress has voiced strong disapproval of this decision, asserting that it breaks with the tradition of appointing the senior-most member as the pro-tem Speaker.
K Suresh, an eighth-term MP, stated that the decision to appoint a seventh-term MP as the pro-tem Speaker was wrong and has drawn nationwide criticism. Congress MP Hibi Eden also condemned the decision, highlighting that it disrespects the parliamentary tradition and marginalizes a senior Dalit MP.
President Murmu has also appointed Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and Sudip Bandyopadhyay to assist the pro-tem Speaker in administering the oaths to the newly-elected members.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will run from June 24 to July 3, coinciding with the 264th session of the Rajya Sabha, which will commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party is holding a parliamentary meeting on Monday in Delhi, chaired by National President Akhilesh Yadav.
The previous session of the 17th Lok Sabha, the Budget session, took place from January 31 to February 10, 2024.
