Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons takes oath as Rajya Sabha member

NEW DELHI: Union Minister KJ Alphons has taken oath as a member of the Upper House of Parliament before Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

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

He took oath before Naidu in the Chairman's chamber in Parliament House, an official statement said.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel were also present.

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