5 from state take oath in RS

With the election of the new members DMK’s strength in the Rajya Sabha increased to five with its organising secretary RS Bharati, TKS Elangovan and propaganda secretary Tiruchy Siva already serving their tenure as members of the upper house.

AIADMK’s tally in the Rajya Sabha has increased to 10. DMK women’s wing secretary Kanimozhi was a member of RS till she quit the post following her election to the Lok Sabha from Thoothukudi in the recently conducted Parliamentary elections. Unlike the other nominees, Vaiko returned to the Rajya Sabha after 23 years to start his fourth term as Rajya Sabha MP.

Nominees of both ruling and principal opposition party took oath in Tamil, as did their counterparts in the Lok Sabha in June 2019.

While nominees of the AIAMDK took oath in the name of God, which the DMK consciously avoided like their party colleagues in Lok Sabha who swore oath on their conscience.

Notably, Vaiko has announced his arrival by participating in the debate on the same day he assumed office. Vaiko had raised a supplementary question seeking to know from the Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani as to how many jobs were lost due to closure of spinning mills in the country. Vaiko had also drawn the Minister’s attention to fluctuation in cotton price across the country.