New Lok Sabha Speaker to be elected by June 19
NEW DELHI: While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is being tight-lipped about its pick for Speaker of the Lower House, the Lok Sabha Secretariat informed all newly elected MPs that they are to elect the new Speaker by June 19. With no confirmation from BJP, the names of former minister Radha Mohan Singh and Surinderjeet Singh Ahluwalia are being speculated as frontrunners for the post.
Former minister Maneka Gandhi, currently the interim Speaker, will be administering the oath to all new MPs of the 17th Lok Sabha, including Congress parliamentary leader Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In 2014 none of the opposition parties put up a candidate against NDA's Sumitra Mahajan. This year, however, opposition parties are planning to meet before the Parliament begins. One of the opposition leaders said that they generally do not press for any candidate, but it all depends on how the ruling parties take them into confidence.
Newly elected members will take oath on June 17 and 18 when the Lok Sabha is convened for this purpose. With President Ramnath Kovind set to address a joint session of Parliament on June 20, the Lower House has to elect a Speaker by then. This session of the parliament will conduct no other business other than administering the oath to new members and the election of the Speaker.
The Rajya Sabha's month-long-session will start on June 17 and continue till July 27 and on July 5, the first woman Finance Minister since Indira Gandhi, Nirmala Sitharaman will present the second NDA Government's General Budget at 11 am. Before that, she will be presenting the Economic Survey and some other financial documents on July 4. Like last year the Railway Budget will be clubbed with the General Budget this year as well.
As per schedule, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will take up the motion of thanks for the President's speech for at least two days and after the debate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his first formal address in both houses. He is expected to unveil his government's plan of action. This is the first time BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also participate in the debate.
