18th Lok Sabha’s first session begins today

NEW DELHI: The 18th Lok Sabha’s first session begins on Monday with the newly elected members taking oath of office. On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected. On Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint session of both Houses in the Lok Sabha chamber.

With the Opposition being at loggerheads with the government over appointment of Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-term member of the BJP, proceedings are likely to be clouded by the controversy. The Opposition has criticised the action, claiming that the government disregarded Congressman K. Suresh’s claim to the office.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju claimed that Mahtab was qualified for the position because he had served seven consecutive terms without a break as a member of the Lok Sabha.

While Suresh lost elections in 1998 and 2004, making this his fourth consecutive term in the lower house, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Mahtab had served seven consecutive terms in the Lok Sabha, qualifying him for the position. He had previously been elected in 1989, 1991, 1996, and 1999 to the Lok Sabha.

At Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday, B. Mahtab, the Pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha, will be administered the oath by President Droupadi Murmu.

At 11 am, Mahtab will arrive at Parliament House and declare the Lok Sabha open. He will then call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take oath as member of the House.

The Pro-tem Speaker will then administer an oath to the panel of chairpersons appointed by the President to assist him in carrying out the proceedings of the House till the election of the Speaker on June 26.

After the panel of chairpersons, the Pro-tem Speaker will administer the oath/affirmation as Lok Sabha members to the Council of Ministers. The members from States, in alphabetical order, will take oath or make affirmation over the next two days.

The debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address will begin on June 28. The Prime Minister is expected to respond to the debate on July 2 or 3.