Pradeep, Mamkootathil sworn in as MLAs of Kerala Assembly

U R Pradeep of the ruling LDF and Rahul Mamkootathil of the Opposition UDF, who won from Chelakkara and Palakkad assembly segments respectively in the recent by-elections, were sworn in as MLAs on Wednesday.

The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Assembly complex here, was attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, Speaker A N Shamseer, Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan and so on.

While Pradeep, a prominent CPI (M) leader and former MLA, took a solemn oath, Mamkootathil, who is also serving as the president of state Youth Congress, took the oath in the name of the God.

With his entry into the House, 35-year-old Mamkootathil became the youngest member of the present Kerala Assembly.

Pradeep won the Chelakkara seat, defeating Congress candidate Ramya Haridas by an impressive margin of 12,201 votes.

The by-poll was necessitated in Chelakkara, a longstanding Left bastion, after the former MLA and ex-Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan was elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this year.

Mamkootathil retained the Palakkad Assembly seat for the Congress-UDF by a significant margin of 18,840 votes.

Mamkootathil secured 58,389 votes, while BJP's C Krishnakumar garnered 39,549 votes in the significant by-poll.