PM Modi Shakes Hands With Rahul Gandhi In Parliament; Video Goes Viral

In a rare sight, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shook hands in Parliament.

The two leaders came together to welcome the newly appointed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The clip of two leaders shaking hands has gone viral as people see it as a positive development.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi extended his wishes to Birla and accompanied him to the chair, joined by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and PM Modi.

The house resonated with 'Ayes' and 'Noes' as pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab declared Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house. The opposition, which had nominated K Suresh as the Speaker candidate for the INDIA bloc, did not push for a division vote.

It has to be noted that the INDIA bloc nominated K Suresh, marking the first contested election for the position in decades. Traditionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected through consensus between the ruling party and the opposition.

While the BJP fielded Om Birla, a three-time MP from Kota in Rajasthan, the Opposition parties fielded Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term parliamentarian from Kerala's Mavelikara. The NDA declined the opposition INDIA bloc's demand for the Deputy Speaker's position in exchange for its support for the NDA nominee.

With 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the NDA demonstrated a clear majority to ensure Om Birla's return to the Speaker's chair he held in the 17th Lok Sabha. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on June 24 and will conclude on July 3. The 264th Session of the Rajya Sabha will begin on June 27 and conclude on July 3, culminating in President Murmu's address to a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on June 27.