The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is set to commence on Monday, featuring the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Anticipation of a tumultuous session is high 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 of the Lok Sabha. Following this, Mahtab will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take his oath as a member of the House.
The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for June 26, followed by President Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on June 27.
This session marks the beginning of the 18th Lok Sabha following the general elections, where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 seats, and the INDIA bloc won 234, with the Congress holding 99 of those seats.
A meeting of the newly elected Congress MPs is set to take place at 10 am at the CPP office in Parliament today.
In light of the alleged irregularities in the 2024 NEET-UG medical entrance exam, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have criticized the BJP, expressing their support for the affected students.
The appointment of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker is expected to be a contentious issue, with the opposition arguing that Congress Member K Suresh, the senior-most member, was overlooked.
Bhartruhari Mahtab will oversee the oath-taking of the newly elected members and the proceedings of the House.
The Congress has expressed strong disapproval of the central government’s decision to appoint seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker over the senior-most Dalit MP, Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, arguing that this decision deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.
Congress leader K Suresh stated, “We are claiming that an eighth-term MP should be the pro-tem Speaker…They have done wrong and now the whole country is criticising the decision of the BJP government.”
Congress MP Hibi Eden added, “There are certain customs related to the Parliament of India, and it is always the senior-most member irrespective of the party, who is given the opportunity to become the pro-tem speaker… Unfortunately, a Dalit member, who is an 8-time MP from Kerala has been denied the right to become the pro-tem speaker. This shows the attitude of the NDA government towards the Dalit and the oppressed community of this country. They have violated all the traditions and customs… Even though this session is hardly for 8 days, it should have been in consensus with the opposition because we are representing almost 45 percent of the country.”
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 of the newly elected members.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 to July 3 for the oath/affirmation of newly elected Members. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will also commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3.
Additionally, the Samajwadi Party Parliamentary meeting is scheduled for Monday in Delhi, to be chaired by the party’s National President Akhilesh Yadav.
The previous session of the 17th Lok Sabha (Budget session) took place from January 31 to February 10, 2024.