Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chairing a meeting of presidents of all parties represented in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha on June 19 to discuss the issue of ‘one nation, one election’.
Noting that there are many new faces in this Lok Sabha, Modi said the first session of the Lower House of Parliament should begin with “fresh zeal and new thinking”. The PM will also be discussing the celebration of 75 years of India’s independence in 2022 and the 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi wrote to presidents of all political parties to attend the meeting.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi writes to Presidents of all political parties represented in Parliament to attend a meeting on 19th June, where PM Narendra Modi will also be present. (File pic: Pralhad Joshi) pic.twitter.com/qS1XtxHola
— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2019
Addressing the media, Pralhad Joshi said that the prime minister urged leaders of all parties to “introspect whether members of Parliament are able to fulfil people’s aspirations as their representatives and the manner in which last two years of the 16th Lok Sabha were wasted”.
He further said that PM Modi has also called a meeting of all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members on June 20 to build team spirit in the parliament.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi: Prime Minister wants to build team spirit in the Parliament, so he has called a meeting of all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs on June 20th. https://t.co/yudB6u4kV5
— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2019
PM Mod has on several occasion reiterated the ‘one Nation-one poll’ concept referring it as a solution to bring harmony and unite castes and religious diversifications.
“In India, elections take place almost every six months, hence I say that we should have Lok Sabha and state elections at the very same time. One election in every five years, isn’t this what should happen? Shouldn’t the expenditure be cut or not?,” he said in his Agra rally in January.
Earlier in the day, on the eve of the first Parliament session of the 17th Lok Sabha is set to commence, an all-party meeting had been held at the Parliament on Sunday.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi and leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha Thawar Chand Gehlot were the first to arrive at the meeting.
The other leaders who were present at the meeting were YSCRP leader V Vijayasai Reddy, TMC leader Derek O’Brien, NC Chief Farooq Abdullah, NCP leader Supriya Sule, Apna Dal (Sonelal) Chief Anupriya Patel, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, and TDP leader Jayadev Galla.
On the first two days of the new Parliament session which will commence on Monday, new MPs will take the oath while the election for the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to be held on June 19.
The contenders for the post of the speaker are senior BJP parliamentarians, including former Union ministers Maneka Gandhi, Radha Mohan Singh and Virender Kumar. Former Union ministers Jual Oram and S S Ahluwalia were also among the possible candidates.
The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha will be convened from June 17 to July 26 during which the Union Budget will be presented by the new government on July 5.
