The 18th Lok Sabha convened today, where 280 first-time MPs are set to take oath. The momentous occasion elicited a medley of reactions from them — goosebumps to nervousness and everything in between. NDTV spoke to six new MPs. Here’s what they had to say:
T Krishna Prasad from Bapatla (Telugu Desam Party)
“When I entered the Lok Sabha for the first time today, I was getting goosebumps,” said T Krishna Prasad, a former top cop who won the battle for Bapatla from Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party.
“It was a very different experience… I had never thought that I would become a Lok Sabha MP. I want to work for the welfare of the people on a larger scale. I will do it as a Lok Sabha MP,” he added.
“I was the Director General of Police of Telangana. During my tenure as DGP, I realised that I had to work in public service and this should be done actively. That is why I have joined politics,” said the MP who ran an NGO that donated critical equipment at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The former Telangana-cadre IPS officer who retired in 2022, had initially joined the BJP but switched to TDP ahead of the election.
Manish Jaiswal from Hazaribagh (BJP)
First-time BJP MP Manish Jaiswal from Hazaribagh Sadar found his first day in Lok Sabha an intensely emotional one. “My father was also in politics… today when I entered the Lok Sabha for the first time, I felt that my father’s wish had been fulfilled,” he told NDTV.
Mr Jaiswal, a two-time MLA, had replaced the BJP’s sitting MP and former minster Jayant Sinha from the seat. Mr Sinha is the son of former BJP stalwart Yashwant Sinha, who was a minister in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In their absence, their family borough Hazaribagh saw a contest between two candidates from Other Backward Classes — Mr Jaiswal and Congress’s Jai Prakash Bhai Patel.
“There is a lot of backwardness and poverty in the villages of Hazaribagh. There has been a lot of displacement there. I will strongly put forward the need for development there in the Lok Sabha,” he told NDTV.
Harender Mallik from Muzaffarnagar (Samajwadi Party)
For Harendra Mallik, the General Secretary of Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, the first visit to the Lok Sabha was a sharp reminder of his responsibilities.
“I felt very good.. (but) I realised sitting there that I have to live up to the expectations of my supporters according to the policies of my party… I realised that I have to discharge these responsibilities,” he told NDTV.
Outlining his priorities, Mr Mallik said he wants to focus on education, health and employment. “These three basic facilities should be provided. Education in schools should be cheap, irrigation should also be cheap… this is what I want,” he said.
On his wishlist was one other thing. “Rapid rail should reach Muzaffarnagar. I will raise these issues in the Lok Sabha,” said the new MP, who has acquired a reputation after defeating Union Minister and BJP’s prominent Jat leader Sanjeev Balyan to win the seat.
Lakshmikant alias Pappu Nishad from Sant Kabir Nagar (Samajwadi Party)
Development is high on agenda of another first-time MP from Uttar Pradesh as well. “My parliamentary area is quite backward,” said former Uttar Pradesh minister Lakshmikant Pappu Nishad.
There are very few basic facilities like roads, water, electricity in Sant Kabir Nagar. “My priority will be to put the aspirations of people, my supporters, before the Lok Sabha,” said Mr Nishad, who handled the Fertilisers and Logistics departments in the state government led by Akhilesh Yadav.
Raj Kumar Sangwan from Baghpat (BJP)
The BJP’s new MP from Baghpat, just a few hours away from the national capital, is also focused on his constituency, although he said he “felt really good’ on his first day in Lok Sabha and has “made many new friends, met many old friends”.
Despite being very close to Delhi, Baghpat is a backward area, whereas Sonipat and other districts of Haryana adjacent to it “have progressed a lot,” he said.
“My priority will be to build new roads to connect Baghpat with big cities, provide better education and health facilities and create new employment opportunities for the youth. I want to raise issues like these in the Lok Sabha,” he added.
Manoj Kumar from Sasaram (Congress)
For this Congress MP, Day One in Lok Sabha was a “historic” occasion. “Today I went to the Lok Sabha for the first time… it was a very good experience,” said Manoj Kumar, who is representing Bihar’s Sasaram in the Lok Sabha.
The 40-year-old has been second-time lucky. He had contested in 2019 from Mayawati’s BSP, but could not dislodge the BJP’s Chedi Paswan. This time, in the contest against the BJP’s new candidate Shivesh Kumar, he won by a little over 19,000 votes.
Mr Kumar said unemployment remains the biggest issue for him. “Employment for the youth and development of Sasaram parliamentary constituency will be my priority… I want to make the hill in Kaimur a tourist spot,” he added.
