K J Alphons takes oath as Rajya Sabha member

NEW DELHI: Union minister K J Alphons today took oath as the Rajya Sabha member before Upper House chairman Venkaiah Naidu.

Alphons, who is Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan in a by-poll earlier this month.

He took oath before Naidu, the Rajya Sabha chairman in the Chairman's chamber in Parliament House, according to an official statement.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel were also present on the occasion.

Alphons, a 1979 batch IAS officer, began his political journey by becoming an independent MLA backed by the CPI(M) in Kerala in 2006 but joined the BJP in 2011.