Of the 543 MPs in Lok Sabha, 280 are spanking new - into their first few months as Members of Parliament. Add to that the 166 MPs who have been in Rajya Sabha for less than a year. That's 446 MPs (of the total 770 MPs) who could fondly be described as 'newbies' in Parliament. A warm welcome to each one of them. Wish I could have written a paragraph about each new parliamentarian. Since that can't happen, let me introduce you to 12 new Opposition MPs to watch out for. I am sure each one of you reading this column can make your own lists of 12 new MPs. Here's part one with six MPs.
1. Alfred Kanngam Arthur, INC, Manipur (51)
"If the Prime Minister cannot bring peace in a small state like mine, what will he manage in such a big country as ours".
Sharp. Direct. Addressing the Speaker with the swagger of a veteran. Mr Kanngam Arthur is unplugged, unedited. He is one of the two Lok Sabha representatives from Manipur. He made a mark in his first speech Parliament, clearly articulating how he, as a........