Following an electoral loss that compelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form a coalition government for the first time in ten years, Indian parliamentarians took their oaths of office on Monday as parliament convened.
The first meeting, scheduled to end on July 3, is anticipated to include an outline of Modi’s ambitions for a third term as well as the official nomination of Rahul Gandhi to lead the opposition, a position that has been unfilled since 2014.
After his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won landslide victories in both of his previous stints in office, Modi’s government was able to ram bills through parliament with little to no discussion.
Analysts now predict that in order to appease his coalition partners, the 73-year-old Modi would tone down his Hindu-nationalist agenda and instead concentrate on social welfare, infrastructure, and economic reforms.
On Monday, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju called for a “peaceful and productive” session; however, the Indian media predicted a heated discussion with a significantly more formidable opposition.
One headline in The Hindustan Times on Monday said, “All set to spar.” The top page of The Indian Express also stated, “Resurgent opposition set to push government.”
The Congress party saw its finest result since Modi was swept to power ten years ago when Rahul Gandhi, 54, nearly doubled its parliamentary numbers, defying expert projections.
Gandhi is the son, grandson, and great-grandson of past prime ministers, starting with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru, and the heir of a dynasty that ruled Indian politics for decades.
According to parliamentary rules, the leader of the opposition must represent a party that has a minimum of 10% of the 543 members in the lower house of representatives.
The position has been unfilled for ten years since Congress, which was previously the majority party in India, failed to meet the requirements in two disappointing election cycles.
