Congress president Mallikarjun Kharg and BJP leader Tarun Chugh were among the eight newly-elected members of the Rajya Sabha who took oath on Monday.
Rajya Sabha Speaker C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to the new members.
Kharge was also reappointed as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha with effect from June 26.
Holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand, Karg took the oath separately in Radhakrishnan’s room.
The Congress President later said that he would continue to raise the concerns, aspirations and voices of the people in the Assembly with honesty and conviction, apart from holding the government accountable.
Congratulating Radhakrishnan Kharge, he said the Senate would benefit from his long experience.
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Who are the members?
Radhakrishnan later administered oath/confirmation to seven other elected/re-elected members of the Rajya Sabha chamber, namely Mansingh Miraman Parmar, Tarun Chugh, Alka Singh, Jitendra Mejjibhai Kanzaria, Rajendra Hiralal Jain, M Nagaraja and Adhikarimayom Sharda Devi.
Four members took the oath/affirmation in Hindi, one in Kannada, one in Punjabi and one in Manipuri. While two members from Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur and Rajasthan sent one member each to the Senate.
Congress Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and general secretaries KC Venugopal, Mukul Wasnik, Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain were present during the swearing-in of Kharge.
Sources said that Kharg’s wife, daughter, granddaughter and husband were also present.
Health Minister JP Nadda, who is also Leader of the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, along with Praful Patel and Rajya Sabha General Secretary BC Modi were also present on the occasion.
“Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, CB Radhakrishnan, administered the oath to Mallikarjun Kharge at Parliament House today,” Radhakrishnan’s office posted on X, along with photos of the swearing-in ceremony.
“I have had the honor of being sworn in as a member of the Council of States once again. It is a matter of great pride and responsibility that I continue to serve this august assembly as Leader of the Opposition,” Karg said on X programme.
He also expressed his gratitude to Radhakrishnan and Harivansh for their continuous support.
“I also express my sincere gratitude to the leadership of the Indian National Congress, especially CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, to my colleagues and Congress MPs, and to the countless party workers and supporters whose unwavering faith and encouragement have sustained me throughout my long journey in public life and parliamentary service,” Karg said.
The Congress president also said that he was equally grateful to the leaders of all political parties, especially the India Caucus colleagues.
“I look forward to stronger coordination during the next monsoon so that together we can make the current government more accountable,” he said.
Kharge was later re-recognized as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
“After the expiry of his term as a Member of the Rajya Sabha on 25 June 2026,
Mallikarjun Kharge ceased holding the post of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha on June 26, 2026.
“On his re-election to the Rajya Sabha, with effect from 26 June 2026, the Speaker of the Rajya Sabha has recognized Mallikarjun Kharge, a member and leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) in the Rajya Sabha, as the Leader of the Opposition with effect from 26 June 2026, in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 of the Salaries and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977, and for all the purposes of the said Act,” Modi, Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, said in Bulletin.
