The inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha is set to begin on a combative note on Monday amid controversy over the appointment of BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem speaker. The first day will see oath-taking by 280 newly elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers, with the remaining 264 MPs, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, taking oath on Tuesday. The session will focus on the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker on June 26 and President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses on June 27.
The controversy over the pro-tem speaker is expected to escalate as three Opposition MPs consider withdrawing from the panel of chairpersons assisting Mahtab until the Speaker’s election. President Murmu appointed Mahtab as pro-tem speaker, nominating senior MPs, including Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh, DMK’s T R Baalu, TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and BJP leaders Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste, to assist him. Opposition members claim K Suresh’s seniority was overlooked, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defends Mahtab’s appointment based on his seven uninterrupted terms as an MP.
The government and Opposition are also expected to clash over the Speaker and deputy speaker posts, with the Opposition claiming the deputy speaker position. The debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, starting June 28, may see heated exchanges over issues like NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams, new criminal laws, and the Kanchanjunga Express accident. Prime Minister Modi is likely to respond to the debate on July 2 or 3. After a brief recess, both Houses will reconvene on July 22 for the Budget session.
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