Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was on Monday sworn in as a member of the Rajya Sabha after being re-elected to the Upper House.
The oath of office was administered to Kharge by Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan in his chamber at Parliament House. He took the oath in Hindi and was seen holding a copy of the Constitution during the ceremony.
Vice President Radhakrishnan congratulated Kharge and said the Upper House would benefit from his long parliamentary experience.
Following the oath-taking, Kharge said he would continue to raise the concerns, aspirations and voices of the people with sincerity and conviction, while also holding the government accountable. He reiterated that these responsibilities would remain central to his role in Parliament.
Senior Congress leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were present during the ceremony. Union ministers J P Nadda, Kiren Rijiju, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also attended the occasion.
In a post on social media platform X, the Vice President’s office confirmed that Kharge had taken oath as a re-elected member of the Council of States from Karnataka, sharing photographs of the ceremony.
Kharge also posted on X expressing gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, calling it a matter of “immense pride and responsibility.”
He thanked Vice President Radhakrishnan and Deputy Chairman Harivansh for their support, as well as Congress leadership including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with party colleagues and workers for their continued backing.
He also expressed appreciation to leaders across parties, particularly INDIA bloc members, and said he looked forward to stronger coordination during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to ensure greater accountability from the government.
Apart from Kharge, BJP leader Tarun Chugh, and six other new members including Jitendra Meghjibhai Kanzariya and Mansingh Meraman Parmar (Gujarat), M Nagaraja (Karnataka), Rajendra Hiralal Jain (Maharashtra), Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi (Manipur) and Alka Singh (Rajasthan), also took oath.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Leader of the House J P Nadda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal were present at the oath-taking, both inside the chairman's chamber as well as in the House.
Kharge took oath in Hindi while holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand.
VP Radhakrishnan congratulated and welcome the new members into the House.