Delhi, India, April 4 (HBTV): Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi took oath as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, on Thursday. This is the first time the Congress leader is taking oath as Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan, filling the seat that fell vacant after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh completed his tenure on April 3.                          

Sonia Gandhi was sworn in as Rajya Sabha member in the presence of Leader of the House Piyush Goyal and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. Her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, and secretary general P C Mody were also present.                

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sent best wishes for the new chapter in the Upper House after completing 25 years in Lok Sabha.                           

Congress leader Ajay Maken from Karnataka, BJP leader R P N Singh from Uttar Pradesh, and BJP member Samik Bhattacharya from West Bengal also took oath as Rajya Sabha members today.     

Vice-president and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath to them in the new Parliament House building.                               

YSRCP leaders Gola Babu Rao, Medha Raghunath Reddy, and Yerum Venkat Subba Reddy also took oath as members representing the state of Andhra Pradesh.