There was a tinge of arrogance among the members of a resurgent BJP even as the opposition, led by the Congress, kept reminding them of the need for restraint.
BJP member Rajiv Pratap Rudy set the tone for the ruling benches when he opened the debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address, making caustic comments on the mere 44 seats won by the Congress that led the government for 10 years.
Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge was quick to remind Rudy that if the BJP could grow to 282 seats from a mere two (in 1984), then the Congress could surely manage 400-plus seats from the 44 it got this time.
It was Modi, however, who set the tone for humility and inclusion while replying to the motion of thanks on the president's address. "I don't want to go ahead without you (opposition)," he appealed.
If silence and dignity had defined Manmohan Singh's tenure as prime minister, Modi made it very clear that he would lead from the front. Using his histrionic skills to perfection, he sought to reassure, reconcile and spell out a confident vision for the country as he made his maiden speech in the Lok Sabha.
Again, unlike his predecessor, Modi showed his proactiveness as leader of his party when on some occasions he stayed behind after the house was adjourned and interacted with members of his party and allies. Many members would walk up to him and speak with him probably on issues related to their constituencies.
The prime minister's stamp was also evident on President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the joint session of parliament which laid thrust on use of technology to bring quick results, revive Brand India and on use of social media for participative governance.
During the nearly 12-hour long debate to the motion of thanks on the President's address, in which 52 members took part, there was hardly any disruption, again a departure from the past.
Though the short, June 4-11 session saw only routine business being transacted, hope was in the air that some landmark and pending legislations like the women's quota bill, which seeks to provide 33 percent reservation to women in parliament and state legislatures, would be passed smoothly.
Intervening during the debate, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asked the opposition to help the government pass the bill on women's quota when it would be taken up.
