The 18th Lok Sabha convenes today amid heightened tensions as the Opposition protests against irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and disputes the selection of Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker. Typically, the pro-tem Speaker administers the oath to new members and serves until the election of the Speaker.
Mahtab, a seven-time MP formerly with the Biju Janata Dal, was chosen by the BJP, prompting objections from the Congress, which advocates for Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term MP. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended Mahtab’s selection, citing his seven consecutive terms compared to Suresh’s electoral defeats in 1998 and 2004 before his current fourth term.
President Droupadi Murmu will administer Mahtab’s oath before the session. Despite the President appointing senior members like K Suresh, T R Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and Sudip Bandyopadhyay to assist Mahtab, the INDIA Opposition bloc, including Suresh, Baalu, and Bandyopadhyay, has refused to participate in the oath ceremony.
The Opposition’s move signifies ongoing tensions over the government’s pro-tem Speaker choice, reflecting broader discontent within the new Lok Sabha session.
