Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari were sworn in as members of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday. Singh retained his seat in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shah returned from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and Gadkari from Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Assistance to pro-tem speaker
Before the ministers took their oaths, senior BJP members Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste were sworn in. They will assist pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab in administering oaths over the next two days.
Opposition protest
Congress member K Suresh, DMK's T R Baalu, and TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who were appointed as part of the panel of chairpersons, did not turn up to take their oaths. The Congress objected to Mahtab's appointment, arguing that the claim of eight-term member Suresh, a Dalit leader, was overlooked. In protest, opposition leaders Suresh, Baalu, and Bandyopadhyay will not join the panel of chairpersons.
Other ministers sworn in
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also took their oaths as members of the new Lok Sabha.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is expected to be marked by significant opposition activity, with key issues such as the Speaker election and other parliamentary procedures likely to be contentious.
The oath-taking ceremony saw these prominent leaders pledging to uphold the Constitution and discharge their duties with integrity and dedication. The event was attended by other MPs and key political figures, underscoring the importance of their roles in the upcoming legislative sessions.
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