Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, presented details of newly elected Lok Sabha members to President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on June 6. This meeting is a crucial step in the formation of the next Lok Sabha, which will be the 18th.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notification under Section 73 of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951, listing the names of elected members to the House of the People following the General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha. This notification was submitted to the President by the CEC and Election Commissioners.
President Murmu expressed her congratulations to the CEC and Election Commissioners for successfully completing the electoral process, which is the largest democratic exercise in human history. She acknowledged the efforts of the Election Commission, its officials, and other public officials involved in managing and overseeing the campaign, polling, and security arrangements. She also commended the hundreds of millions of voters who participated in the election process, highlighting that their participation aligns with the democratic traditions of India.
It’s worth noting that President Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha on June 5, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. The term of the current Lok Sabha ends on June 16, and a new government needs to be established before that date.
In the recently concluded general elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a majority, winning 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. While the NDA comfortably surpassed the majority mark of 272, the BJP fell short of the magic number of 272 seats for the first time since 2014, winning 240 seats. The Opposition INDIA bloc won 234 seats.
Meanwhile, Mr. Modi was unanimously elected as the NDA leader during a meeting of the alliance in New Delhi on Wednesday. This paves the way for him to be sworn in for a third consecutive term as the head of the coalition government. Elected Lok Sabha members belonging to the NDA are expected to meet on June 7 to formally elect Mr. Modi as their leader. The alliance leaders will then meet the President to submit their letters of support, as per the statement from former Bihar chief minister and founder of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) Jitan Ram Manjhi.
It’s important to note that Mr. Modi and his council of ministers had submitted their resignations to President Murmu on Wednesday, which she accepted while requesting them to continue until the new government takes office.
