Today in Politics: An NDA meeting before Parliament, followed likely by PM’s response to Motion of Thanks

NDA alliance partners will meet in Parliament premises on Tuesday morning before the scheduled session begins.

This is a crucial meeting as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to give his first address to the MPs of the ruling bloc during the first session of his third term.

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the BJP lost the majority and is reliant on its allies, particularly the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United), to continue in power. The BJP won 240 seats, while its allies got 53.

While Modi has addressed NDA MPs on a few occasions in the past, he generally spoke to only BJP MPs during sessions.

The meeting could potentially frame the issues the NDA partners will take up, especially in the face of a strengthened Opposition bloc.

PM’s likely response to Motion of Thanks

The NDA meeting also comes amidst discussions going on in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament. Modi is expected to reply to the discussions on Tuesday evening.

Alongside this, Health Minister JP Nadda, Commerce and Industry Minister Jitin Prasada, among others, will lay papers on the table.

On Monday, in his first speech as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Monday, Rahul Gandhi set the tone for the new Parliament, his aggression reflecting the changed power equations in the House, writes Manoj CG, the chief of The Indian Express’s National Political Bureau.

Rahul attacked the NDA government over the Agnipath scheme, the NEET row, the MSP issue, the turmoil in Manipur, even the Modi government’s 2016 demonetisation move. He accused the ruling BJP of having created an atmosphere of fear in the country and “spreading violence and hatred” against