The move has drawn flak from the Opposition, which alleged that the claim of Congress member K Suresh was overlooked by the government.
Lok Sabha chamber.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha beginning Monday, 24 June, will see oath-taking by newly elected members followed by the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker on 26 June and President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both the Houses on 27 June.
The row over the appointment of BJP leader and seven-term member Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem speaker is likely to cast a shadow over the session.
The move has drawn flak from the Opposition, which alleged that the claim of Congress member K Suresh to the post was overlooked by the government.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that Mahtab has had seven uninterrupted terms as a Lok Sabha member, making him eligible for the post, while Suresh lost elections in 1998 and 2004 which makes his current term the fourth straight one in the lower house.
Earlier, he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1999.
On Monday, President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Mahtab will then reach Parliament House and call the Lok Sabha to order at 11 am.
The proceedings will begin with members observing a moment of silence on the occasion of the first sitting of the 18th Lok Sabha. This will be followed by Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh placing on the table of the House the list of the members elected to the lower house.
Mahtab will then call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take oath as a member of the House.
The pro-tem Speaker will then administer the 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 26 June.
The President has appointed Kodikunnil Suresh (Congress), TR Baalu (DMK), Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste (both BJP) and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) to assist Mahtab in administering the oath/affirmation to the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha.
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 election to the post of Lok Sabha Speaker will take place on Wednesday and the prime minister will introduce his council of ministers to the House soon after.
The President is scheduled to address the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on 27 June. The debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address will begin on 28 June. The prime minister is expected to respond to the debate on 2 or 3 July.
Both the Houses are expected to go into a brief recess and re-assemble on 22 July for the presentation of the Union Budget.
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
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