18th Lok Sabha's First Session To Begin With Oath-Taking, Speaker Election, And President's Address

The inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha will commence on Monday, featuring the swearing-in of newly-elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by the election of the Speaker and an address by President Droupadi Murmu to a joint session of both Houses.

This session marks the first assembly of the Lok Sabha following the general elections held from April to June. In this 18th Lok Sabha, the NDA holds a majority with 293 seats, while the BJP has 240 seats, falling short of the 272 majority mark. The opposition INDIA bloc has secured 234 seats, with Congress holding 99 of them.

On Monday, starting at 11 am, PM Modi and his Council of Ministers will take their oaths, followed by the swearing-in of MPs in alphabetical order by state. Consequently, MPs from Assam will be the first to take their oaths, and those from West Bengal will be the last. On Monday, 280 newly-elected MPs will take their oaths, with the remaining 264 doing so the following day, June 25.

A dispute has arisen over the appointment of BJP leader and seven-term MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro tem Speaker, a decision that has been criticized by the opposition, which argued that Congress member Kodikunnil Suresh's claim to the position was ignored.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended Mahtab's appointment, highlighting his seven uninterrupted terms in the Lok Sabha. In contrast, Suresh's current term is his fourth consecutive one, having lost elections in 1998 and 2004 but previously serving from 1989 to 1999.

On Monday, President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Mahtab as the pro tem Speaker at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Mahtab will then proceed to Parliament to convene the Lok Sabha at 11 am. The session will begin with a moment of silence, followed by Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh presenting the list of elected members.

Mahtab will then invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the oath as a member of the House. Subsequently, the pro tem Speaker will administer oaths to a panel of chairpersons appointed by the President to assist in conducting proceedings until the Speaker's election on June 26.

The President has appointed Kodikunnil Suresh (Congress), TR Baalu (DMK), Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste (both BJP), and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Trinamool Congress) to assist Mahtab in swearing in the newly-elected Lok Sabha members.

The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for June 26, after which the Prime Minister will introduce his Council of Ministers to the House. President Murmu will address a joint session of Parliament on June 27, with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address starting on June 28. PM Modi is expected to respond to this debate on July 2 or 3. Both Houses will briefly recess and reconvene on July 22 for the presentation of the Union Budget.