The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will commence on Monday, featuring the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 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, discussions on allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and disputes over the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker.
President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, who has been appointed as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Mahtab will then invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take the oath as a member of the House. The Lok Sabha Speaker election is scheduled for June 26, followed by President Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on June 27.
This marks the first session 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.
In parallel, the newly elected Congress MPs will meet at 10 AM at the CPP office in Parliament today. Following allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have voiced their support for the students and criticized the BJP.
The appointment of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker has sparked controversy, with the opposition claiming that Congress Member K. Suresh, the senior-most member, was overlooked by the government. Mahtab, as pro-tem Speaker, will administer the oath to newly elected members and manage the House’s proceedings.
The Congress has strongly criticized the government’s decision to appoint seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, accusing the BJP of deviating from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.
Congress leader K. Suresh argued that the position should have gone to an eighth-term MP. He 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 criticizing the decision of the BJP government.”
Congress MP Hibi Eden condemned the NDA government for violating parliamentary traditions and customs, emphasizing that the pro-tem Speaker is traditionally the senior-most member, regardless of party affiliation. He highlighted the denial of the role to a senior Dalit MP from Kerala as indicative of the NDA government’s disregard for the Dalit and oppressed communities.
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 newly elected members.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 to July 3 for the oath-taking and affirmation of newly elected Members. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will begin on June 27 and conclude on July 3. Additionally, the Samajwadi Party will hold a parliamentary meeting on Monday in Delhi, chaired by party National President Akhilesh Yadav.
The last session of the 17th Lok Sabha (Budget session) was conducted from January 31 to February 10, 2024.
