Seating arrangement undergoes overhaul in new Parl

The new Parliament building, which has more seats in both Houses, has meant a new seating arrangement for the lawmakers, albeit one that also reflects the new order order in the Treasury and the Opposition benches, and possible changes in the former after the recent state elections.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

Union culture minister G Kishan Reddy, food processing minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Rahul Shewale are new entrants to the front row. The new seating was announced on December 6.

In the old Parliament, Reddy and Paras had prominent positions but not in the front row.

Shewale replaced Vinayak Raut as the Sena leader after the split.

In the new building, the first column of the Treasury benchwhere Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior ministers have their seats has only four seats, numbered I through 4, compared to five in the old Parliament building. In both Houses of Parliament, the seat number of an MP is also the division number, which is used during the in-House voting over bills or motions.