The inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha was high on drama and witnessed an extremely intense war of words between the ruling side and the opposition, making it evident that the battle lines continue to be drawn and the sentiment of the bitter electoral battle is being carried forward.
The new Lok Sabha is strikingly different from the previous house. The opposition now is almost equal to the ruling side in strength, while the ruling BJP, after a gap of 10 years, does not enjoy a majority of its own. It is also after a gap of 10 years that there is a leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The ruling BJP made a somewhat subdued entry into the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party have emphasised the fact that it is a government of the National Democratic Alliance, with the Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (United) providing the numbers crucial for sustaining the dispensation. However, Modi and the BJP have made it clear in this session that despite the changed arithmetic, they cannot be treated as pushovers.
There is an emphasis on continuity and the effort on part of the ruling side has been to convey that the people have chosen stability by voting in the NDA a third time.
Be it the Speaker's election or the opposition's demand for the post of deputy speaker, the government has attempted to convey by being unyielding that the authority wielded by Modi and the BJP continues to be intact.
In his reply to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President's address, Modi has emphasised the fact that the NDA has formed a government third time in a row, while the opposition has faced defeat for the third consecutive time in the Lok Sabha polls. He has described the Congress as a “parasite” that has managed to reach 99 seats by riding on the coattails of its regional allies. He has sought to come across as being in complete control of the proceedings despite the dent in the BJP's numbers.
On the other hand, the opposition is intent on making its newfound strength felt in Parliament. In their speeches, the INDIA alliance MPs have sought to convey the message that Modi has lost the moral authority to lead the country and his stature has diminished.
In his maiden speech as leader of opposition, Rahul emphasised the themes that formed the mainstay of the opposition's campaign in the election, be it the alleged threat to the Constitution, the purported misuse of investigating agencies by the ruling dispensation to target political opponents, the farmer's plight and the Agniveer scheme. The NEET issue was also raised by the Opposition members.
Meanwhile, the session also exposed the underlying differences in the INDIA alliance. The Congress and the Trinamool Congress spoke in different voices with regard to the Speaker's election. Also, the reference made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to the Emergency left the Congress isolated in its protests over the issue.
The first session of the new Lok Sabha has shown that the divide between the ruling side and the opposition has only widened, and the two sides continue to be in campaign mode.
