Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will be the first leader from the Opposition to reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, sources said. Harish Dviwedi of the BJP will move the motion of thanks in Lok Sabha, they said.

The debate on the motion of thanks will start in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to it.

“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be the first speaker in the discussion on motion of thanks to the President’s address tomorrow,” a senior Congress leader said.

In his 50-minute address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session on Monday, President Ram Nath Kovind said his government’s policies have given top priority to the poor and marginalised sections of the society.

He also highlighted the Covid response, record procurement of farm produce and improvement in internal security as “collective achievements” of the billion-plus citizens of the country.