The 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly commenced with the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected MLAs at 9 AM on Thursday. Pro-tem Speaker G Sudhakaran presided over the proceedings, with MLAs taking the oath in alphabetical order. The ceremony witnessed several notable moments, including former political rivals exchanging greetings. The oath was administered in multiple languages including English, Tamil, and Kannada, reflecting the diversity of the house.

Fisheries Minister V Abdul Ghafoor, the MLA from Kalamassery, was the first to take the oath, followed by Parakkal Abdullah and KM Abhijith. Several MLAs took the oath in the name of God, while others like Punalur MLA C Ajayaprasad, OS Ambika, and GR Anil took the oath with dignity (“sagauravam”). OS Ambika became the first woman to take the oath in this assembly.

In a gesture that caught attention, TK Govindan, who contested and won as an independent from Taliparamba after leaving the CPM, approached Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan and shook hands before taking his oath. Similarly, V Kunjikrishnan, who left the CPM and won from Payyannur, greeted Vijayan after his oath. The ruling bench applauded these moments of reconciliation.

BJP MLA BB Gopakumar also took his oath during the proceedings. Earlier in the day, BJP MLAs offered floral tributes at the Palayam Martyrs’ Column before arriving at the assembly. The Speaker election is scheduled for the 22nd, and the Governor will address the joint session on Monday.

This session marks a significant shift in Kerala politics, with the UDF government under Chief Minister VD Satheesan taking office after 10 years of LDF rule. The new government has already signaled major policy changes, including reversing the SilverLine rail project. Political observers are keenly watching how the strong opposition led by Pinarayi Vijayan will function in the assembly.