(This article is authored by Alar) 

Days after getting nominated to the Rajya Sabha under the presidential reservation, legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja will be taking oath as the Rajya Sabha MP on Monday- July 25. Ilaiyaraaja will become Rajya Sabha MP at a high time when India has welcomed Droupadi Murmu as its 15th President.

Ilaiyaraaja has arrived in Delhi on Sunday - July 24 and he was given a rousing welcome by the BJP as hundreds of cadres gathered at the Delhi Airport and poured a huge reception. Illaiyaraaja should have taken the oath in the Rajya Sabha last Monday during the commencement of the monsoon session of the Parliament but he didn't attend the oath-taking ceremony as he was in the United States. 

He has arrived in India recently and begun the process of accepting the honour that was awarded by the outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind, with the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Centre has announced the list of four nominated MPs and all four are from South India. Besides Illaiyaraaja (Tamil Nadu) and PT Usha (Kerala), the other two MPs are producer and script writer Vijayendra Prasad (Andhra Pradesh), and philanthropist Veerandra Heggade (Karnataka). 

The nomination of Illaiyaraaja has come months after he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and drew an analogy of comparing Modi with Ambedkar. While he was staunchly criticized by scores of people, the musician has had the backing of the BJP and as per various speculations, he was bestowed with a six-year MP term in the Upper House of the Parliament. 

As per the constitutional right, the President can nominate 12 MPs in Rajya Sabha and the nominees would be chosen from different fields including sports, literature, art, and social service. The appointed MPs will serve until July 2028. This right has been bestowed upon the President according to the Fourth Schedule (Articles 4(1) and 80(2)) of the Constitution of India, which says “The Council of States shall consist of (a) twelve members to be nominated by the President in accordance with the provisions of clause (3), and (b) not more than two hundred and thirty-eight representatives of the States and of the Union territories.” 

Our maestro & Rajya Sabha M P Shri @ilaiyaraaja sir gets a warm reception in Delhi today on his arrival. @BJP4TamilNadu wishes him all success in his new avatar as a public servant. @BJP4Delhi pic.twitter.com/Lws1I6Xjtz

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) July 24, 2022