A representative image (Source: India Today)
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is set to commence on Monday, June 23. This session will feature the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected Members of Parliament (MPs), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be followed by the election of the Speaker and an address by President Droupadi Murmu to a joint sitting of both Houses.
This session is notable as it follows the general elections held from April to June.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds a majority in the 18th Lok Sabha with 293 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a key component of the NDA, has secured 240 seats, slightly short of the 272 majority mark. The Opposition, represented by the INDI Alliance bloc, holds 234 seats, with the Congress party contributing 99 of those.
The proceedings will begin at 11 am with Prime Minister Modi and his Council of Ministers taking their oaths. The remaining 264 newly-elected parliamentarians will take their oaths the following day.
On Monday, President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Following this, Mahtab will proceed to Parliament to call the Lok Sabha to order at 11 am.
The session will begin with a moment of silence to mark the first sitting of the 18th Lok Sabha. This will be followed by Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh presenting the list of elected members. Mahtab will then call upon Prime Minister Modi to take his oath as a member of the House.
The pro tem Speaker will also administer the oath to the panel of chairpersons appointed by the President to assist him until the Speaker’s election on June 26.
President Murmu has appointed several leaders to assist Mahtab in administering the oath to the newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha. These include Kodikunnil Suresh (Congress), T R Baalu (DMK), Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste (both BJP), and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Trinamool Congress).
The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for June 26. This will be followed by the Prime Minister introducing his Council of Ministers to the House. President Murmu is set to address the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on June 27. The debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address will begin on June 28, with Prime Minister Modi expected to respond on July 2 or 3.
Both Houses are expected to take a brief recess and reconvene on July 22 for the presentation of the Union Budget.
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