Naidu, Chidambaram and Amar Singh take oath in RS

New Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, MoS for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, former Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, former minister and NCP leader Praful Patel, JD-U leader Sharad Yadav and RJD strongman Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misha Bharti were the other prominent members, who took oath.

Eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani and former ministers Ambika Soni and Beni Prasad Verma also took oath in the Rajya Sabha on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. While members thumped desks to welcome those taking oath, Chairman Hamid Ansari greeted them with a “Welcome” and the re-elected with “Welcome Back.”

Visitors’ galleries were packed with family members, friends and well-wishers of the members taking oath and on a couple of occasions, going against the convention, some even cheered their leaders.

After taking oath, members greeted senior leaders of various parties, including PM Narendra Modi, who came in midway through the oath-taking ceremony.