The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on 24 June 2024, with newly elected Members of Parliament taking the oath of office. On 26 June 2024, Om Birla was re-elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, defeating opposition candidate Kodikunnil Suresh in a contest decided by voice vote. The session, scheduled from 24 June to 3 July 2024, was a truncated introductory session focused on constitutional formalities ahead of the full Budget Session.
Background
The constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha followed the general elections concluded on 1 June 2024, with results declared on 4 June. Under Article 93 of the Constitution, the House of the People is required to choose a member to be the Speaker as soon as may be after its first sitting. The Speaker's election is typically a consensual affair, with the ruling dispensation's nominee being elected unopposed following informal consultations with the opposition.
However, the 18th Lok Sabha witnessed a departure from this convention. The NDA government and the INDIA opposition alliance failed to reach consensus on the Speaker's election, leading to a contested vote — only the fourth such contest in the history of the Lok Sabha. The opposition's insistence on a Deputy Speaker commitment as a precondition for supporting the Speaker nominee contributed to the breakdown of the traditional consensus mechanism.
The abbreviated nature of the first session — lasting only ten days — reflected the government's approach of fulfilling constitutional requirements while reserving substantive legislative business for the upcoming Budget Session.
Key Provisions
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha encompassed the following constitutionally mandated proceedings:
Oath and affirmation: All 543 elected Members took the oath of office under Article 99 of the Constitution, administered by the pro-tem Speaker (Bhartruhari Mahtab) who was appointed for this purpose.
Speaker election: Om Birla (BJP, Kota) was elected Speaker on 26 June 2024, succeeding himself in the role. The contested election was resolved through voice vote, with the NDA's numerical majority in the House ensuring Birla's re-election.
President's Address: Under Article 87 of the Constitution, the President addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together, outlining the policy agenda of the new government for the term ahead.
Session duration: The session was scheduled from 24 June to 3 July 2024, making it one of the shortest opening sessions in recent parliamentary history. No substantive legislation was introduced during this session.
Implications for Practitioners
The contested Speaker election signals a more adversarial parliamentary dynamic in the 18th Lok Sabha compared to its immediate predecessors. For practitioners monitoring legislative developments, this portends more contentious proceedings on Bills and legislative proposals, with the opposition likely to utilise procedural mechanisms — including demands for division votes, references to Standing Committees, and adjournment motions — more frequently.
The absence of a Deputy Speaker — a position that remained vacant through the entire 17th Lok Sabha and appears likely to remain contentious in the 18th — has implications for the conduct of parliamentary business. Under the Rules of Procedure, the Deputy Speaker presides over the House in the Speaker's absence and chairs certain committee proceedings, and the continued vacancy affects the institutional functioning of the Lower House.
Practitioners should prepare for the Budget Session — anticipated in July 2024 — as the first substantive legislative window of the new government, where the Finance Bill, Appropriation Bill, and potentially new legislative proposals will be introduced.