Bhubaneswar, April 4: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders Debasish Samantray and Subhasish Khuntia, assumed their roles as members of the Rajya Sabha, representing Odisha, in a swearing-in ceremony held on Thursday. The oath of office was administered by Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar at the new Parliament building.

Both Vaishnaw and Khuntia took their oaths in the Odia language. Vaishnaw secures his seat in the Upper House for a second consecutive term, while for former Barabati-Cuttack MLA Samantray and Khuntia, it marks their inaugural tenure. Samantray previously held the assembly constituency position in 2014 and 2009.

In total, 14 political figures, including former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, were sworn in as Rajya Sabha members. The vacancies in Odisha's representation arose following the completion of terms for Vaishnaw, and BJD MPs Prashanta Nanda, and Amar Patnaik. According to the Rajya Sabha secretariat, the terms for members from Odisha and Rajasthan commenced on Thursday, while others began their terms on Wednesday.

Powered by Froala Editor