Deve Gowda sworn in as Rajya Sabha member

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was sworn in as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.

Deve Gowda took oath in the Kannada language in the presence of Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Deve Gowda, 87, was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka on June 12 with the support of the Congress. Deve Gowda could not take oath on July 22 due to ill health. On the same day, 45 of the 61 elected members were sworn in for membership of the Rajya Sabha.

Deve Gowda has been elected to the Rajya Sabha for the second time. Prior to this, he has been a member of the Rajya Sabha 24 years ago. At that time he was the Prime Minister of the country from June 1996 to April 1997.

Meanwhile, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Congress leader Ambika Soni and Samajwadi Party's Revathi Raman Singh have sought permission to remain absent from the meeting.

Earlier, former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had also sought permission to remain absent from the House due to health reasons.