Delhi: The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is set to begin tomorrow, marking the beginning of a new era in Indian politics. The session will witness the swearing-in of the newly-elected members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will take oath for his second consecutive term. This will be followed by the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker on June 26 and President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of both the Houses on June 27.
The Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases from April to June and saw the NDA alliance cross the majority mark by winning 293 seats. However, the BJP fell short of a majority on its own, securing 240 seats while the opposition bloc INDIA won 234 seats, with Congress winning 99 of them. The session will begin with President Murmu administering the oath to Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-term member of BJP, as the pro-tem Speaker at Rashtrapati Bhawan. This appointment has been met with criticism from the opposition, who alleged that Congress member Kodikunnil Suresh’s claim to the post was overlooked.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has stressed that Mahtab’s seven consecutive terms as a Lok Sabha member made him eligible for the post for an eighth time in a row. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha holds great significance as it sets the tone for the next five years and will establish the power dynamics in Parliament.
