All MPs from the Opposition INDIA bloc are set to enter the Lok Sabha together on the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, starting on Monday, according to sources. They plan to gather near the Mahatma Gandhi statue and may carry copies of the Constitution.
This morning, Congress MPs will also convene at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) office in Parliament House.
INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest on the Parliament premises.
#WATCH | Delhi: INDIA bloc leaders including Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, protest in Parliament premises pic.twitter.com/QoFKaoavR0
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2024
The inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha, beginning today, will feature the swearing-in of newly-elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A “Swagatam” cutout has been placed at the Parliament Makar Dwar to welcome the newly elected MPs.
Expectations for the 1st Session of the 18th Lok Sabha
The first session is anticipated to be contentious, with the opposition likely to challenge the BJP-led NDA government on issues such as the Speaker’s election, allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and disputes over the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker.
President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Subsequently, Mahtab will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take oath as a member.
On June 26, the Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected. President Murmu is scheduled to address the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on June 27.
This marks the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha following the general elections, in which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 seats and the INDIA bloc won 234, with the Congress holding 99 of them.