‘Hindi oath, desk thumping’: BJP Chief Nitin Nabin enters Rajya Sabha with 15 other members
New Delhi: BJP National President Nitin Nabin and Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur were among 16 newly elected and re-elected members of the Rajya Sabha who were sworn into office on Thursday.
The oath of office was administered by Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan in the Upper House. The new members represent a broad geographical cross-section of the country, including Bihar, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana.
Of the inductees, eight belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party, while three represent its coalition partners. The remaining five members are from the Indian National Congress.
Leadership Transition
Nitin Nabin, who assumed the role of BJP National President earlier this year, transitioned to the Upper House following his resignation from the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He took his oath in Hindi to a chorus of desk-thumping from his colleagues.
Joining him from Bihar was Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, who secured a fresh term in the House. The state’s representation was further bolstered by the swearing-in of Shivesh Kumar of the BJP and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).
Regional Representation
The ceremony included a significant contingent from Assam, with BJP members Terash Gowalla and Jogen Mohan, alongside Pramod Boro of the United People's Party Liberal (UPP-L), taking their seats.
Other members affirming their allegiance to the Constitution included:
- Haryana: Sanjay Bhatia (BJP) and Karamvir Singh Boudh (Congress).
- Telangana: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Vem Narendar Reddy.
- Chhattisgarh: Laxmi Verma (BJP) and Phulo Devi Netam (Congress).
- Odisha: Sujeet Kumar (BJP).
- Himachal Pradesh: Anurag Sharma (Congress).
- Maharashtra: Vinod Shridhar Tawde (BJP).
The induction of these members comes during a pivotal legislative week as the Parliament continues to debate significant constitutional amendments regarding women’s reservation and electoral delimitation.
With inputs from PTI