The 18th Lok Sabha is set to open as the inaugural special session of Parliament commences under a shadow with the government and the Opposition likely to clash over a string of issues, foremost among them the irregularities dogging some of India’s premier examinations. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha, sparking a face-off between the government and the Opposition.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, beginning tomorrow, will witness the oath ceremony followed by the election to pick the Lok Sabha Speaker and President Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both houses. The Opposition is gearing up to raise issues such as price rise, food inflation, deaths due to a heatwave, and irregularities in examination conducts.
Protests have erupted across the country as students allege question paper leaks, inflated marking, and arbitrary allowance of grace marks. Opposition parties are calling for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into thousands of students’ concerns. Congress, DMK, and the Trinamool Congress are among those raising the issue that has affected 3.7 million students.
Differences have emerged over the selection of the pro-tem speaker, adding to the tension. The government maintains that the appointment follows the rules, but the Opposition argues otherwise. Both sides are preparing for a potential standoff in the Lok Sabha proceedings.
Furthermore, the BJP, with 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, faces challenges in getting bills passed, especially as former allies like the BJD and YSRCP are not part of the NDA. The stage is set for a power play as the session unfolds, with the Opposition looking to assert its presence and the government aiming to navigate through the challenges ahead.
