Ahead of the official commencement of the first Parliamentary session of the 18th Lok Sabha, newly inducted Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday he was positively looking forward to coordination to run Parliament.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rijiju said he would always be available to assist the members of Parliament as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
"The First Session of the 18th Lok Sabha begins today, June 24, 2024. I welcome all the newly elected Hon'ble Members. I will always be available to assist the members as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. I'm positively looking forward to co-ordination to run the house," Rijiju said.
"Today, as new Hon’ble MPs pledge their commitment, I am reminded of the immense responsibility ahead. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, let us together work relentlessly for our nation's progress. Looking forward to a peaceful and productive Parliament session," he added.
Significantly, the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which is set to commence today (June 24), will witness the oath-taking ceremony of the protem speaker, Bhartruhari Mahtab, followed by the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Further, on June 26, the Parliament will vote for the appointment of the Lok Sabha Speaker. President Droupadi Murmu will also address a joint sitting of both houses on June 27.
Further, it is pertinent to note that this will be the first Lok Sabha session following the conclusion of the general elections on June 4. In the 18th Lok Sabha, the NDA holds a majority with 293 seats, while the BJP has 240 seats, just shy of the 272 majority mark on its own. The Opposition India bloc has 234 seats, with the Congress holding 99 of them.
Lok Sabha proceedings are to start at 11:00 a.m.
According to the list of business, the session will start at 11:00 a.m. with an observance of silence to mark the solemn occasion of the first sitting of the 18th Lok Sabha, followed by the laying of paper on the table by the Secretary-General. The paper will contain all the names of the newly elected MPs. After this, the members will take oaths or make affirmations and sign the roll before taking their seats.
Meanwhile, the pro-Speaker during the session will also administer the oath to the panel of chairpersons appointed by the President to assist him in carrying out the proceedings of the House until the election of the Speaker on June 26.
Kodikunnil Suresh (Congress), T R Baalu (DMK), Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste (both BJP), and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) have been appointed by the President to assist Mahtab in administering the oath or affirmation to the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha.
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