Nineteen newly elected and re-elected members of the Rajya Sabha took oath in Parliament on Monday, marking an important moment for the Upper House.

Among those sworn in are five members from Maharasthra, including Ramdas Bandu Athawale, Maya Chintaman Ivnate, Sharadchandra Pawar, Ramrao Sakharam Wadkute and Jyoti Nagnath Waghmare, reported ANI.

Christopher Manickam, Anbumani Ramadoss, Constandine Ravindran, LK Sudhish, M Thambidurai and Tiruchi Siva are from Tamil Nadu. Five members from West Bengal include Babul Supriyo, Menaka Guruswamy, Rajeev Kumar, Rukmini Mallik, and Biswajit Sinha, while three members Santrupt Mishra, Dilip Kumar Ray and Manmohan Samal are from Odisha.

New MPs pledge focus on development after oath

Speaking after taking the oath, Santrupt Misra the BJD MP expressed his commitment to addressing key issues in Odisha. As a first-time Member of Parliament, he said he would return to the state to consult with party leadership, including Naveen Patnaik, along with MLAs and intellectuals, to shape future programmes for both the state and the country.

"I have become a Member of Parliament for the first time. From here, I will return to Odisha and, along with the President of the Naveen Patnaik and the leadership of the Biju Janata Dal, we will hold discussions with our MLAs. We will also consult intellectuals from Odisha and then decide how to move forward with our future programs for both the country and the state. There are many issues in the state of Odisha that need to be addressed," said Misra.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Christopher Manickam emphasised his focus on safeguarding the interests of Tamil Nadu. He stated that his priority would be to ensure the state is not overlooked by the central government.

"I am a member from Tamil Nadu, and my priority will be to ensure that Tamil Nadu is not sidelined by the Central Government," he said, reported ANI.