Thiruvananthapuram
The swearing-in ceremony of members of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday turned into more than a routine constitutional exercise, showcasing the state’s diversity, simplicity and distinctive political culture.
While some newly elected MLAs walked to the Assembly or arrived on bicycles, others took oath in different languages and either in the name of God or through solemn affirmation, lending a personal touch to the proceedings.
The day also witnessed political rivals setting aside bitter campaign rhetoric as leaders exchanged greetings and smiles after the ceremony, creating rare moments of warmth and camaraderie inside the House.
The swearing-in saw Chief Minister V D Satheesan once again using his full name — Vadasseri Damodara Menon Satheesan — while taking oath as an MLA, despite criticism from sections of social media and within the Indian National Congress over his reference to his caste surname during his earlier oath-taking as chief minister.
Defending the usage a day earlier, Satheesan had said he merely mentioned his father’s name and saw nothing improper in doing so during a formal ceremony.
The swearing-in also featured a symbolic moment when Pro-tem Speaker G Sudhakaran rose from his seat and walked forward to congratulate former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after he took oath.
The gesture came despite the two engaging in sharp exchanges during the election campaign after Sudhakaran declined to renew his membership in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and contested as a UDF-backed Independent candidate from Ambalapuzha.
The two leaders greeted and shook hands warmly, with Sudhakaran having said a day earlier that politics should not involve personal grudges and that he viewed Vijayan like any other MLA taking oath.
Similar scenes unfolded when former CPI(M) leaders V Kunhikrishnan and T K Govindan, who recently left the party and contested successfully as UDF-backed Independents from Payyanur and Taliparamba, approached Vijayan to greet him after taking oath.
The ceremony also highlighted linguistic diversity, with several MLAs choosing to take oath in English, Tamil and even a blend of Kannada and Malayalam.
Indian Union Muslim League MLA A K M Ashraf from Manjeshwar took oath in a regional mix of Kannada and Malayalam, while Congress legislator F Raja from Devikulam chose Tamil.
Senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph, along with party leaders Mathew Kuzhalnadan and Sandeep Varier, RSP MLA Shibu Baby John, IUML legislator Fyzal Babu and Kerala Democratic Party MLA Mani C Kappen took oath in English.
Forty-two MLAs chose solemn affirmation instead of invoking God. They included all CPI(M) and Communist Party of India legislators, Congress MLAs V T Balram and Sumesh Achuthan, RSP leaders Shibu Baby John and Vishnu Mohan, and Revolutionary Marxist Party of India MLA K K Rema.
Kunhikrishnan, Govindan and Communist Marxist Party Kerala State Committee legislator C P John also opted for solemn affirmation.
The remaining MLAs, including the three from the Bharatiya Janata Party and one from LDF ally Rashtriya Janata Dal, took oath in the name of God.
The BJP MLAs — Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V Muraleedharan and B B Gopakumar — walked to the Assembly after paying floral tributes at the Palayam Martyrs’ Memorial, underlining the party’s entry into the state Assembly space.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Chandy Oommen, son of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, arrived at the Assembly complex on a bicycle, continuing the eco-friendly campaign style he had adopted during the elections.
READ MORE: Pune: Mujtaba Lokhandwala transforms housing society lawns into science Labs
Most other legislators reached the Assembly in official or personal vehicles.
