18th Lok Sabha Inaugural Session Commences Amid Government-Opposition Tensions

Clouds of confrontation between the treasury benches and the Opposition, particularly the Congress, have started looming over the inaugural session as the Congress is determined to challenge the government from the beginning itself. The President has appointed BJP leader and seven-term member Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem Speaker. She had also named Congress's Kodikunnil Suresh, DMK's T.R. Baalu, BJP's Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste and TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay to assist Mr Mahtab in administering the oath to the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha.

The Congress has questioned the selection of Mr Mahtab as it was pitching for Mr Suresh for the post, saying he is the senior-most MP in the House. Unhappy with the government’s decision, the Congress withdrew its members from the panel to assist Mr Mahtab. Other Opposition members on the panel -- Mr Baalu and Mr Bandyopadhyay -- also withdrew their names.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that Mr Mahtab has had seven uninterrupted terms as a Lok Sabha member, making him eligible for the post, while Mr Suresh had a break in tenure after he lost elections in 1998 and 2004, which makes his current term the fourth straight one in Lok Sabha. Mr Suresh was earlier elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1999.

On Monday, Ms Murmu will administer the oath to Mr Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Mr Mahtab will then reach the 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.

Mr Mahtab will then call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take the oath as a 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 the states, in alphabetical order, will take the 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 June 27. 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. Both the Houses are expected to go into a brief recess and re-assemble on July 22 for the presentation of the Union Budget.

Besides the pro-tem Speaker issue, the Opposition is also gearing up to corner the government on the paper leak issue, terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and the implementation of new criminal laws from July 1.