BJP's MJ Akbar takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP

   New Delhi: BJP's national spokesman M J Akbar, who won the Rajya Sabha bypolls from Jharkhand earlier this month, took oath as a Rajya Sabha member today.

     The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of K D Singh after he left Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and joined Trinamool Congress.

     Akbar, whose term will expire next year, had defeated Haji Hussain Ansari of the JMM by 19 votes.

     A former journalist and editor, Akbar has been associated with various publications including India Today, the Asian Age and the Sunday Guardian, and has authored several books. He joined BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

     On the first day of the Monsoon Session, the House also paid tributes to its former members Govindrao Adik, Ghulam Mohammad Mir and Surendra Kumar Singh, who died in the recent past.

     While Adik was an NCP leader, Mir was a veteran Congress leader and a Rajya Sabha member when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. Singh was also a Congress Member in the Upper House.