The opposition exuded a sense of triumph on the first day of the new parliamentary session following India’s 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Inspired by their strong electoral performance, opposition lawmakers were visibly enthusiastic, brandishing copies of the Constitution as Prime Minister Narendra Modi administered the oath of office to members of the 18th Lok Sabha.
Prominent among the opposition leaders were BJP MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who sat in the front row of the House. In the previous session, Rahul Gandhi sat in the second row, but this time he sat in the front row, representing the Opposition BJP.
Also in the front row were Awadhesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party and Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress. Akhilesh Yadav paid special attention to Awadhesh Prasad, who won the crucial Faizabad seat famous for the Ayodhya Ram temple. Yadav, along with his wife Dimple Yadav and other Samajwadi Party legislators, ensured that Prasad was prominent at key interactions, including meetings with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi.
The Indian Union holds 233 seats in the Indian Parliament, while the BJP-led NDA alliance holds 293 seats.
As the session began, Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah met opposition lawmakers brandishing copies of the Constitution. Opposition parties also chanted “NEET, NEET” at the swearing-in ceremony of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, signalling their intention to tackle allegations of rigging in competitive exams such as NEET-UG and UGC-NET.
DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi highlighted ongoing concerns about the fairness of these exams, echoing views from Tamil Nadu, which has consistently questioned the credibility of NEET. Outside the Lower House, Rahul Gandhi stressed the Opposition’s determination to defend the Constitution against what he sees as attacks by PM Modi and Amit Shah, saying “no power can touch the Constitution of India.”
