First Session of 18th Lok Sabha Anticipated to Begin Around June 15

The commencement of the 18th Lok Sabha's first session is anticipated to be around June 15, as per sources on Friday. This session marks a significant beginning, with the newly elected candidates taking their oaths as members of the House in the third week of June. Spanning over two days, this initial phase will lead to the election of a new Speaker. Following this, the President is expected to address a joint sitting of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, officially inaugurating the session. The exact dates for this pivotal session will be determined by the new Union Cabinet.

Prime Minister Modi is set to introduce his Council of Ministers to both Houses during this session, which is projected to wrap up by June 22. The Cabinet's meeting is scheduled shortly after the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday evening. This follows the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha on June 5 by President Droupadi Murmu, upon the advice of the Union Cabinet.

In a significant political development, President Murmu appointed Modi as the prime minister-designate after BJP chief J P Nadda presented a letter confirming Modi's election as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party. Additionally, leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) submitted their letters of support. Despite winning 240 seats in the recent Lok Sabha polls and falling short of a majority in the 543-member House, the NDA secured a comfortable majority with 293 seats.

This series of events underscores a crucial period in India's parliamentary democracy, setting the stage for governance and legislative activities over the coming years. The formation of the government and subsequent initiation of the Lok Sabha session are key steps in operationalizing the mandate given by the electorate.