Parliament Session: The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on Monday (June 24) with the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker on June 26. President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of both the Houses on June 27.
This will be the first Lok Sabha session following the general elections conducted from April to June. 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.
On Monday, President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Mahtab as the protem Speaker of the Lok Sabha at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Following this, Mahtab will proceed to Parliament House and call the Lok Sabha to order at 11 am.
The proceedings will start with members observing a moment of silence for the first sitting of the 18th Lok Sabha. This will be followed by Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh placing on the table of the House the list of the members elected to the lower house.
PM Modi to take oath
Mahtab will then call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take oath as a member of the House. After PM Modi takes the oath, his Council of Ministers will take also the oath.
The protem Speaker will then administer the oath to the panel of chairpersons appointed by the President to assist him in carrying out the proceedings of the House till 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/affirmation to the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha.
Row over selection of BJP leader as protem speaker
The controversy surrounding the selection of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as the protem speaker is expected to overshadow the session. Opposition parties have criticized the decision, claiming that Congress Member K Suresh, who also sought the position, was disregarded by the government.
According to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Mahtab's eligibility stems from his seven consecutive terms as a Lok Sabha member. In contrast, Suresh previously lost elections in 1998 and 2004, and his current term marks his fourth consecutive tenure in the lower house. Prior to this, Suresh was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991, 1996, and 1999.
PM Modi to address Parliament on July 2
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Lok Sabha on July 2 in reply to the President’s address. He will speak in Rajya Sabha the next day.
There will be no Zero Hour and Question Hour.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha's 264th session will be held from June 27 to July 3, 2024. Both the Houses are expected to go into a brief recess and re-assemble on July 22 for the presentation of the Union Budget.
Also Read: Lok Sabha Speaker election to be held on June 26, candidates can be proposed till June 25
