President Droupadi Murmu to address parliament joint sitting on June 27

President Droupadi Murmu will address the joint sitting of Parliament today, delivering her first presidential address since the formation of the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Following her address, a motion of thanks will be moved and discussed in both Houses of Parliament.

The 18th Lok Sabha's first session began on Monday, and the Rajya Sabha session starts today. On Wednesday, Om Birla was re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker after a motion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was adopted by the House. Birla called for a new vision for the 18th Lok Sabha, aiming to establish high parliamentary traditions and dignity, and to fulfill the resolve of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Birla, emphasizing the significant responsibility of his role during the Amrit Kaal and praising the 17th Lok Sabha's decisions under Birla's leadership as a golden period in parliamentary history. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also congratulated Birla, asserting that the Speaker is the final arbiter of the people's voice and that the opposition now represents significantly more voices than in the 17th Lok Sabha. Gandhi emphasized the need for cooperation and trust to ensure the opposition can effectively raise the people's concerns.

Birla expressed confidence that the 18th Lok Sabha will uphold its commitment to preserving the Constitution, maintaining the rule of law, and promoting decentralization of power. He noted the importance of the House functioning well and often, with cooperation based on trust.

On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency's imposition on June 26, 1975, Birla praised the strength and determination of those who opposed it and protected India's democracy. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc, demanding the position of Deputy Speaker, nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the Speaker's post amid lack of clarity from the BJP.

This session is the first after the general elections, where the NDA secured 293 seats and the INDIA bloc won 234 seats. The BJP did not achieve a majority on its own, securing 240 seats.

Today's session is expected to outline the new government's legislative agenda and set the tone for interactions between the ruling party and the opposition.