Keerthana takes oath after missing initial opportunity

The oath-taking of MLA-elects in the Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed some interesting moments as a young woman minister initially failed to produce her election certificate, prompting her to go back for it, while another legislator mistakenly presented his party colleague’s document before the mix-up was pointed out.

An AIADMK MLA broke down after seeing a portrait of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, officials said. Hours later, Keerthana took the oath after submitting the certificate, they said.

When the Assembly Principal Secretary K Srinivasan invited Keerthana, announcing her name in the microphone, to take oath, she walked to the podium, which was right in front of the chair of the chief minister from one side. Also, MLAs who take oath would face the chair of the pro tem speaker.

While Keerthana neared the podium, Srinivasan raised his hand and asked her the certificate, which could be seen in the live coverage of the Assembly proceedings.

However, she could not produce the certificate and what she replied to Srinivasan was not known and she left that spot.

Asked what transpired, an official told PTI: “It seems she did not have her certificate of election with her readily. Since she could not submit the certificate, the senior official politely declined to allow her to take oath. She may take oath whenever she submits her certificate of election.”

Later, Keerthana brought the certificate to the House and submitted it to the official and took oath in the name of God.

The official said that MLAs were told to bring their certificates without fail and the government made this clear even in a press note.

When Velachery TVK legislator R Kumar was about to begin taking oath after submitting the certificate, Srinivasan stopped him.

He pointed out to Kumar that the certificate submitted by him featured the name of someone else.

It later emerged that Kumar had brought the certificate of his party colleague seated next to him and had given it to Srinivasan.

Immediately, Kumar went back to his seat and brought his certificate of election and gave it to Srinivasan. Kumar collected the colleague’s certificate from the official and gave it back to the party man, also an MLA. Later, Kumar was allowed by the official to take oath.

Kumar won by 33,305 votes from Velachery, defeating his nearest AIADMK rival M K Ashok. Congress party’s Aassan Maulaana JMH was relegated to the third spot.

Panrutti AIADMK MLA K Mohan while taking oath suddenly broke down and hailed late chief minister J Jayalalithaa and with folded hands paid tributes to the portrait of the late AIADMK matriarch in the Assembly hall.

All MLAs, including Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, first submitted their certificates and were then asked by the officials to take the oath as per the Constitution.

Keerthana was the last minister — ninth as per ranking in the Cabinet — to be invited to take oath.

She was elected from the Sivakasi assembly constituency and she defeated Ashokan G of the Congress party. She won by a margin of 11,670 votes. Former Minister and AIADMK heavyweight KT Rajenthrabhalaji was pushed to third place.

TN Assembly’s current member strength is 233. Vijay won from Perambur and Tiruchi East and he has resigned from the Tiruchi East constituency.