The Supreme Court on Monday held that the first meeting of Parliament each year could not necessarily be considered as its first session. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, dismissed a petition filed by RPI(A) leader Ramdas Athawale, who had challenged the decision of the Lok Sabha Speaker to treat the first meeting of the House in January 2004 as the continuation of the winter session which was adjourned sine die on December 23, 2003. Athawale had contended that though the winter session was adjourned, it could not be termed as continuation when it met in the new year in January. He had contended that the meeting of the House for the first time in each year has to be considered as the first sitting of Parliament requiring the address by the President to both the Houses. The government, while opposing the petition, had contended that there was no substance in it as the Speaker had then itself decided the issue by citing case laws.