Bhubaneswar: BJD leader Pratap Keshari Deb took oath as member of Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari administered the oath of office to Deb at his chamber in Parliament.
Thanking chief minister Naveen Patnaik for nominating him to Rajya Sabha, he said, “I will do my best to carry out the responsibility faithfully and protect the interest of the people of Odisha. I will raise concerns of the state, including the Mahanadi issue in the Upper House.”
Deb was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on May 18. Election to the lone vacant seat was necessitated following resignation of Bishnu Charan Das on March 21.
Das resigned from his post after he was appointed vice-chairman of state planning board. His term of office would have ended on July 1, 2022.