The first session of Parliament after the Lok Sabha elections will begin today, with the newly-elected MPs - including Prime Minister Narendra Modi - taking oath.

BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab will be administered the oath as the Pro-Tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu. He then will call upon the Prime Minister to take oath as member of the House. About 280 newly-elected MPs will take oath today, while the remaining 264 parliamentarians, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, will take oath tomorrow.

The row over the appointment of seven-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as the Pro-Tem Speaker is likely to escalate. The post of Pro Tem Speaker - a temporary one -- traditionally goes to the senior most member of parliament.

The Congress - which was expecting Kodikunnil Suresh, a Dalit leader and an eight-time MP from Kerala, to be named Pro-Tem Speaker - has criticisied the BJP over the appointment of Mr Mahtab.

The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. Until a new Speaker is elected, the Pro-Tem Speaker presides over the first few sessions of the Lok Sabha and conducts the election for the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce the new Speaker's name on Wednesday, two days after the first sitting of the newly elected 18th Lok Sabha. Once the Speaker is elected by a simple majority, meaning the BJP's pick is unlikely to fail - the Pro-Tem's post ceases to exist.

President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on June 27. She may outline the new government's roadmap for the next five years.

This session will conclude on July 3 and reassemble for the monsoon session on July 22.