6 MPs, including Nagaland’s first woman MP, take oath in Rajya Sabha

Six Rajya Sabha MPs, including Nagaland’s first woman Rajya Sabha MP, S. Phangnon Konyak, took oath as members of the Upper House on Monday in the presence of chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and other parliamentarians.

Two MPs were from the Bharatiya Janata Party (Pabitra Margherita, Assam and S. Phangnon Konyak, Nagaland), one from the United People’s Party Liberal (Rwngwra Narzary, Assam), one from the Communist Party of India (Santosh Kumar, Kerala), one from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (AA Rahim, Kerala) and one from the Congress (Jebi Mather Hisham, Kerala).

Actor-turned politician Pabitra Margherita is the BJP’s state spokesperson in Assam. Forming an alliance with UPPL’s Rwngwra Narzary, Margherita received 46 votes and Narzary received 44 votes, which helped them beat the Congress’ Ripun Bora. Margherita is also the member secretary of the State Level Advisory Committee for Student and Youth Welfare in the Assam government.

Phangnon Konyak is the state president of the Mahila Morcha in Nagaland. The 44-year-old lawmaker took oath in the Upper House wearing her traditional Naga clothes and jewelry.

The CPI(M)’s AA Rahim is the national president of the party’s youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). CPI MP Santosh Kumar is currently the Kannur district secretary of his party and a member of the CPI state council in Kerala.

The Congress’ Jebi Mather Hisham is the state president of the Mahila Congress in Kerala as well as the vice-chairperson of the Aluva municipality.