Lok Sabha session highlights: Rahul Gandhi, K Suresh huddle at Kharge's house for Speaker poll
- 3:55 PM IST, June 25 BJP Mathura MP took oath as the member of Lower House
- 3:46 PM IST, June 25 BJP's Meerut MP and Ramayan fame Arun Govil takes oath
- 3:33 PM IST, June 25 Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka arrive at Parliament ahead of Rahul Gandhi's MP oath
- 3:30 PM IST, June 25 ‘It is disheartening that Cong nominated candidate for Speaker post,’ says Kiren Rijiju
- 3:23 PM IST, June 25 Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi takes oath
- 3:18 PM IST, June 25 Union minister Amit Shah hits out at Rahul Gandhi over Emergency invoked by former PM Indira Gandhi
- 2:51 PM IST, June 25 DMK's A Raja takes oath
- 2:44 PM IST, June 25 'Congress party wants to enforce election of Speaker,' says BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.
- 2:37 PM IST, June 25 'Ruling party has the numbers,' says Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Speaker election
- 2:31 PM IST, June 25 DMK's Dayanidhi Maran takes oath
- 1:49 PM IST, June 25 K Suresh comments on his Speaker post nomination, ‘for convention of the LS’
- 1:19 PM IST, June 25 Lower House proceedings adjourned till 2.15 pm
- 1:16 PM IST, June 25 BJP MP and NDA's Speaker candidate Om Birla takes oath
- 1:07 PM IST, June 25 Union minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Speaker post says, ‘It is not good to keep conditions’
- 12:43 PM IST, June 25 ‘Non-biological PM has broken the tradition,’ says Cong's Jairam Ramesh on deputy Speaker post refusal
- 12:28 PM IST, June 25 BJP MP Suresh Gopi reacts to Kerala's name change resolution
- 12:18 PM IST, June 25 Union minister Piyush Goyal on Oppn fielding K Suresh for Speaker post
- 12:00 PM IST, June 25 K Suresh to be Opposition's candidate for Speaker post
- 11:53 AM IST, June 25 NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule takes oath
- 11:37 AM IST, June 25 Om Birla meets PM Modi
- 11:21 AM IST, June 25 SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on INDIA bloc's ‘deputy Speaker post demand’
- 11:17 AM IST, June 25 ‘We need deputy Speaker post,’ says Rahul Gandhi
- 11:10 AM IST, June 25 Day 2 proceedings resume; remaining newly elected MPs continue to take oath
- 11:07 AM IST, June 25 Om Birla likely to be NDA candidate for Speaker post
- 11:01 AM IST, June 25 K Suresh likely to stand for Speaker post if deputy denied to Oppn
- 10:52 AM IST, June 25 ‘Speaker should be from INDIA bloc,’ says AAP MP
- 10:35 AM IST, June 25 Day 2 proceedings to resume at 11 am. What's on the agenda?
- 10:30 AM IST, June 25 Lower House MPs reach Parliament ahead of Day 2 proceedings and Speaker post nominations
- 10:09 AM IST, June 25 Rajnath Singh seeks Oppn consensus for Speaker post; nomination due by noon
- 9:47 AM IST, June 25 ‘BJP is not discussing with Oppn,’ says Cong MP K Suresh over Speaker post
- 9:42 AM IST, June 25 PM Modi shares series of tweets recalling ‘dark days of Emergency’, hits out at Cong
- 9:19 AM IST, June 25 Remaining 281 MPs to take oath today
- 9:02 AM IST, June 25 Who were the INDIA bloc MPs who declined to assist pro-tem Speaker on Day 1?
- 8:49 AM IST, June 25 ‘NEET’ slogans by Opposition as Dharmendra Pradhan takes oath
- 8:39 AM IST, June 25 Former Union minister Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj sworn in on opening day
- 8:27 AM IST, June 25 Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut takes oath on Day 1
- 8:23 AM IST, June 25 Glimpses from President Murmu's dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan
- 8:20 AM IST, June 25 BJP's Jharkhand chief says ‘Rahul Gandhi should apologise for his grandmother’s misdeeds’
- 8:07 AM IST, June 25 ‘50 years for Emergency period’
- 7:58 AM IST, June 25 President Murmu hosts dinner for PM Modi-led Union Council of Ministers
- 7:52 AM IST, June 25 Cong leader Rahul Gandhi lists 10 issues during 1st 15 days of Modi-govt
- 7:40 AM IST, June 25 262 newly elected MPs sworn in on opening day
Lok Sabha session highlights: For the first time ever, the Opposition has nominated a candidate, Kondikunal Suresh, for the Speaker-post election without unanimous selection. The NDA has fielded Om Birla, and the nominations were closed by 12 pm. The Narendra Modi-led NDA government failed to reach a consensus with the Opposition INDIA bloc, as their demand for the Deputy Speaker post appeared unlikely to be fulfilled....Read More
On the opening day of the 18th Lok Sabha session, 262 newly elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the oath. The remaining 281 new MPs, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, are taking oath today. The election for the Speaker's post is scheduled for Wednesday.
Latest highlights on Speaker's post
- Om Birla from the NDA and Kodikunnil Suresh from the INDIA bloc submitted their nominations for the 18th Lok Sabha Speaker post on Tuesday, prompting the first-ever election for this position.
- Traditionally, since independence, the Speaker and deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha have been chosen through consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. However, with the INDIA bloc's decision to field a candidate, an election has become necessary.
- The INDIA bloc's decision follows their proposal, which was apparently rejected, to demand the deputy Speaker's post in exchange for supporting the NDA candidate for the Speaker post. BJP leader Piyush Goyal stated that their party condemns the Opposition bloc's demand for the deputy Speaker post.
- K Suresh, representing the INDIA bloc, stands out as the longest-serving Lok Sabha MP, having served for 29 years. He secured his eighth Lok Sabha victory from Mavelikkara (Kerala) in the 2024 general elections, having previously represented the seat four times.
- Aside from his parliamentary roles, K Suresh also holds significant positions within the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), serving as its working-president. He has also held the role of chief whip of the Congress Parliamentary Party during the 17th Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha events scheduled ahead
The elections for the appointment of the new Lok Sabha Speaker will take place on June 26
President Droupadi Murmu will address the joint sitting of both houses on June 27, after which the two houses will discuss and pass the motion of thanks on her address. PM Modi will reply to the discussion in both houses next week.
What's the relevance of ‘Emergency period’ now?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his pre-Parliament speech, criticised the Congress over the ‘Emergency period,’ referring to it as a “black spot” on democracy when the Constitution was “discarded”.
On June 25, 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a Congress leader, declared Emergency in India, which led to the suspension of civil liberties, imprisonment of opposition leaders and dissidents, and enforcement of press censorship. The anniversary of the 1975-77 Emergency falls on Tuesday.
Lok Sabha session live: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Oppn fielding K Suresh for Speaker post
Lok Sabha session live: Commenting on the INDIA bloc's decision to field K Suresh as a candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post, Union Minister and BJP MP Piyush Goyal said, “They said first decide the name for Deputy Speaker then we will support the Speaker candidate. We condemn such politics. A good tradition would have been to choose the Speaker unanimously. The Speaker does not belong to any party or opposition; he belongs to the entire House. Similarly, the Deputy Speaker also does not belong to any party or group; he belongs to the entire House and hence there should be consent of the House. Such conditions that only a particular person or from a particular party should be the Deputy Speaker, do not fit into any tradition of the Lok Sabha.”
Lok Sabha session live: K Suresh to be Opposition's candidate for Speaker post
Lok Sabha session live: According to opposition leaders, Kondikunal Suresh, who is currently in his eighth term, will stand as the Opposition's nominee for the Speaker's election. Suresh, representing INDIA, has submitted his nomination for the Speaker's position. This marks the first instance of a Speaker's election in the Lok Sabha. Hailing from Kerala, Kondikunal Suresh is recognized as a Dalit leader. Initially, the Opposition intended for him to serve as the deputy speaker. However, due to unsuccessful negotiations between the government and opposition, Suresh is now being fielded as the candidate for Speaker.
Lok Sabha session live: NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule takes oath as member of the Lower House
Lok Sabha session live: National Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule took oath as the member of the Lower House on Monday.
Three-time MP Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party(SP) from Maharashtra’s Baramati constituency won again by a margin of 1,58,333 votes against her cousin's wife, NCP's Sunetra Pawar, according to ECI.
Lok Sabha session live: Om Birla meets PM Modi ahead of Speaker post nomination
Lok Sabha session live: Kota MP Om Birla met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, signalling his potential candidacy for the ruling National Democratic Alliance's choice for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post.
Multiple NDA sources have indicated that Birla is expected to be their nominee for the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.
Sources suggest that the opposition may abstain from nominating its candidate, paving the way for the NDA nominee to be elected unopposed, with the condition of securing the deputy Speaker post.
The nominations for the Speaker post will end by noon today.
Lok Sabha session live: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on INDIA bloc's ‘deputy Speaker post demand’
Lok Sabha session live: Responding to the INDIA bloc's demand for the deputy Speaker post, Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav remarked, “Everything will be revealed shortly... The Opposition's demand was for the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha to be from the Opposition... Our party shares the same view.”
Lok Sabha session live: ‘We need deputy Speaker post,’ says Rahul Gandhi
Lok Sabha session live: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, speaking on the Speaker election, stated, “Today's newspaper reports that PM Modi urged the Opposition to cooperate with the Government constructively. Rajnath Singh contacted Mallikarjun Kharge, requesting support for the Speaker. The entire Opposition agreed to support the Speaker, but the tradition dictates that the Deputy Speaker position should go to the opposition. Rajnath Singh promised to call back Mallikarjun Kharge, but he hasn't done so yet... PM Modi seeks cooperation from the Opposition, yet our leader faces disrespect.”
Rahul Gandhi will take oath as the member of the Lower House today along with the 281 remaining MPs.
Lok Sabha session live: Day 2 proceedings resume; remaining newly elected MPs continue to take oath
Lok Sabha session live: The proceedings on the second day of the 18th Lok Sabha session began at 11 am today, and the remaining newly elected MPs are taking oath to become members of the Lower House.
Lok Sabha session live: Om Birla likely to be NDA candidate for Speaker post
Lok Sabha session live: According to sources reported by news agency ANI, BJP MP Om Birla is likely the NDA candidate for the Speaker's post in the 18th Lok Sabha. He is expected to submit his nomination at 11:30 am today.
Lok Sabha session live: K Suresh likely to stand for Speaker post if deputy denied to Oppn
Lok Sabha session live: The opposition is seeking the deputy Speaker's post. If an agreement isn't reached between the government and the opposition, the opposition could nominate a candidate for the Speaker's election. K Suresh is a probable contender.
Lok Sabha session live updates: ‘Speaker should be from INDIA bloc,’ says AAP MP
Lok Sabha session live updates: Regarding the Lok Sabha Speaker post, AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang remarks, “It is the responsibility of the Speaker to safeguard the opposition's voice, so we believe that the Speaker should be from the INDIA bloc; otherwise, the Speaker should be from the NDA allies, not from the BJP.”
Lok Sabha session live updates: Day 2 proceedings to resume at 11 am. What's on the agenda?
Lok Sabha session live updates: The second day of the 18th Lok Sabha session is set to commence at 11 am.
- Today, 281 newly elected MPs, including prominent figures like Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav, and National Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule, will take their oaths.
- Nominations for the Speaker post are expected to close by noon.
- The central government is reportedly working towards consensus for the Speaker post, engaging in discussions with opposition leaders as part of the effort.
Lok Sabha session live updates: Lower House MPs reach Parliament ahead of Day 2 proceedings and Speaker post nominations
Lok Sabha session live updates: Union ministers and other Lok Sabha MPs are arriving at Parliament before the Day 2 proceedings of the 18th Lok Sabha session. Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Amit Shah were spotted at Parliament.
Nominations for the Speaker post are due this afternoon.
Lok Sabha session live updates: Rajnath Singh seeks consensus over Speaker post; nomination due by noon
Lok Sabha session live updates: According to sources reported by news agency ANI, Union Minister Rajnath Singh is engaging with opposition leaders to establish consensus for both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions. Additionally, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister is also reaching out to opposition leaders for the same purpose.
Lok Sabha session live updates: ‘BJP is not discussing with Oppn,’ claims Cong MP K Suresh over Speaker post
Lok Sabha session live updates: Regarding the Lok Sabha Speaker post, Congress MP K Suresh said, “The Speaker should be elected unanimously...According to the tradition of the House, the Speaker is elected unanimously. The BJP is not discussing with the opposition, they have to take the initiative for consensus. Till now they have not taken any initiative for consensus for the post of Speaker. If there is no election for the post of Speaker, then the Deputy Speaker will come to the opposition. The leaders of the INDIA alliance have already made their stand clear.”
The nomination process for the Lok Sabha Speaker post is expected to take place today. The election is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26.
Lok Sabha session live updates: PM Modi shares series of tweets recalling ‘dark days of Emergency’, hits out at Cong
Lok Sabha session live updates: On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used social media platform X to reflect on the 'dark days of Emergency,' criticising the Congress party.
“Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly,” he said.
“The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again,” he added.
Lok Sabha session live updates: Remaining 281 MPs to take oath today
Lok Sabha session live updates: The remaining 281 new members will take their oaths on Tuesday. Among the key leaders who will oath at the Parliament today include Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mahua Moitra, Supriya Sule and Kanimozhi.
Lok Sabha session live updates: Who were the INDIA bloc MPs who declined to assist pro-tem Speaker on Day 1?
Lok Sabha session live updates: Congress member K Suresh, an eight-time MP and a prominent contender for the Protem Speaker's position, along with DMK MP T R Baalu and TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay, did not take their oaths when their names were called among the panel of chairpersons to assist the Protem Speaker. Suresh later took his oath.
The appointment of Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker faced criticism from the Opposition, who argued that the eight-term member K Suresh, a Dalit leader, was overlooked for the temporary post. According to the Congress, Mahtab's appointment by the BJP deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member, stating that it is an “established tradition” in the Lok Sabha for the senior-most MP to become the pro-tem Speaker. Full details here
Lok Sabha session live updates: ‘NEET’ slogans by Opposition as Dharmendra Pradhan takes oath
Lok Sabha session live updates: As Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan proceeded to swear in as a Member of Parliament on Monday, Opposition leaders in Parliament staged protests and chanted slogans.
During Dharmendra Pradhan's oath-taking, leaders of the INDIA bloc taunted the NDA government with cries of “NEET,” highlighting alleged irregularities in the examination's administration. Dig deeper
Lok Sabha session live updates: Former Union minister Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj sworn in on opening day
Lok Sabha session live updates: First-time MP and daughter of former Union minister Sushma Swaraj, Bansuri Swaraj, also took her oath in Sanskrit.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bansuri Swaraj secured victory by a margin of 78,370 votes in her electoral debut from the New Delhi constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
With a 15-year career as a lawyer, Bansuri, who is carrying forward her late mother's legacy, faced tight competition with Somnath Bharti of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Lok Sabha session live updates: Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut took oath on Day 1
Lok Sabha session live updates: Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who secured her first victory on a BJP ticket from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, was sworn in as a member of Parliament on the inaugural day of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday.
She defeated Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Ranaut pledged to fulfil her responsibility as an MP to serve the people of her constituency – Mandi, Himachal Pradesh – with utmost dedication.
She also expressed optimism that the opposition would prove to be valuable in Parliament.
Lok Sabha session live updates: Glimpses from President Murmu's dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Lok Sabha session live updates: BJP's Jharkhand chief says ‘Rahul Gandhi should apologise for his grandmother’s misdeeds’
Lok Sabha session live updates: Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Jharkhand chief Babulal Marandi on Monday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that he should apologise for the “misdeeds” of his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Amid the controversy surrounding Bhartruhari Mahtab's appointment as pro-tem speaker, the Congress leader took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that they were “attacking” the Constitution.
Lok Sabha session live updates: ‘50 years for Emergency period’
Lok Sabha session live updates: On Monday, the first day of the 18th Lok Sabha session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the ‘Emergency period’ during the rule of former PM Indira Gandhi, stating that the new generation of India will never forget that time when the country was turned into a prison. He added that they will resolve to uphold a vibrant democracy so that no one will dare to do such a thing in India again.
On June 25, 1975, the then Prime Minister and Congress leader Indira Gandhi, imposed an Emergency in the country, suspending civil liberties, imprisoning opposition leaders and dissidents, and enforcing press censorship.
Countering PM Modi's remark, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on X, “You are reminding us of the 50-year-old Emergency, but have forgotten the last 10 years of Undeclared Emergency, which was ended by the people.”
Lok Sabha session live updates: President Murmu hosts dinner for PM Modi-led Union Council of Ministers
Lok Sabha session live updates: President Droupadi Murmu hosted a dinner at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday for the Union Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his spouse were also present at the dinner.
“President Droupadi Murmu hosted a dinner in honour of the Union Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister @narendramodi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan,” the president's office said in a post on X.
Lok Sabha session live updates: Cong leader Rahul Gandhi lists 10 issues during 1st 15 days of Modi-govt
Lok Sabha session live updates: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the central government, highlighting 10 issues that transpired within the first 15 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration. Gandhi raised concerns about purported NEET irregularities, the UGC NET paper leak, a West Bengal train accident, water scarcity, etc.
Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi alleged that PM Modi is busy in saving his government and said, “First 15 days of NDA! 1. Horrific train accident; 2. Terrorist attacks in Kashmir 3. The plight of passengers in trains 4. NEET scam; 5. NEET PG cancelled 6. UGC NET paper leak 7. Milk, pulses, gas, tolls and expensive 8. Forests blazing with fire; 9. Water crisis; 10. Deaths due to lack of arrangements during the heat wave.”