'There's no full stop in politics': PM bids farewell to 59 Rajya Sabha MPs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised the contributions of retiring Rajya Sabha members, saying their experience and participation strengthened parliamentary traditions.

Speaking during the farewell session in the Upper House, PM Modi said, "...Discussions take place on various issues in the House, and every member plays a unique role in them. In moments like these, a common sense of respect is generated, rising above party lines. To the leaders who are leaving the House after the end of their tenure, I want to say that there is no full stop in politics..."

PM Modi noted that members retiring from the Upper House contributed significantly to parliamentary work during their tenure. "All the respected members who are bidding farewell from this House, some will be leaving at a time when the House is not in session, while some are getting a farewell during the session itself. But all these members have made very valuable contributions."

PM Modi also acknowledged the long parliamentary careers of senior leaders such as HD Deve Gowda and Mallikarjun Kharge. "HD Deve Gowda, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sharad Pawar are senior leaders who have spent more than half of their lives in parliamentary work. Newly elected MPs should learn from them. I wholeheartedly appreciate their contributions, because such a long tenure is not a small thing; it is extremely significant," he said.

59 MPs from 20 states retiring

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday bid farewell to members who will retire between April and July after completing their terms. A total of 59 MPs from 20 states are set to retire from the Upper House in the coming months.

The farewell took place shortly after the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha held on March 16, which will reshape the composition of the House. These elections were conducted to fill 37 seats across 10 states, as the tenure of those members will end in April. Out of the 37 seats, 26 candidates were elected unopposed.

Among the states, Maharashtra accounts for seven seats and Tamil Nadu for six. Bihar and West Bengal have five seats each, while Odisha has four. Assam will see three vacancies, while Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Haryana will have two seats each. Himachal Pradesh will have one vacancy.

Several prominent leaders are among those completing their terms in the Upper House. These include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge from Karnataka, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena and Ramdas Athawale from Maharashtra.

From Telangana, senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi will also complete his term. In Tamil Nadu, leaders including Tiruchi Siva, M Thambidurai, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and NVN Somu are among those retiring.

West Bengal will see five members retire, including Saket Gokhale, Subrata Bakshi and Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. From Bihar, leaders such as Upendra Kushwaha, Ramnath Thakur and Prem Chandra Gupta are among the retiring members. In Odisha, the outgoing MPs include Mujibulla Khan, Sujit Kumar and Mamta Mohanta. Chhattisgarh will see the retirement of KTS Tulsi and Phulo Devi Netam, while Assam MPs Rameshwar Teli, Bhubaneswar Kalita and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan will also complete their terms.

From Haryana, Kiran Chaudhary and Ram Chandra Jangra are among those retiring from the Rajya Sabha.