Rahul Gandhi takes oath as Lok Sabha member amid cheers from Opposition benches

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday took oath as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha in English amid cheers from the Opposition benches.

Gandhi, who got elected to the Lower House of Parliament for a fourth consecutive term, however, forgot the customary practice of signing the Lok Sabha register and started walking towards his seat after taking oath.

He was immediately called back by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha staffers to sign the register.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi thumped the desk, along with other Congress members, after Rahul Gandhi's name was called by the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha for taking oath as a member.

The Congress president came late to the Lok Sabha and was not present in the House when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues took oath.

Rahul Gandhi was elected from Wayanad in Kerala this time.

He had also contested from his traditional Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, but was defeated by BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani by a margin of over 55,000 votes.

Minutes before taking oath, he tweeted, "Representing Wayanad, Kerala, I begin my new innings in Parliament by taking my oath this afternoon, affirming that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India.