Thiruvananthapuram: G Sudhakaran on Thursday administered the oath of office to the newly elected members of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly, with the swearing-in carried out in alphabetical order beginning with V E Abdul Gafoor.

The ceremony saw legislators arrive at the Assembly in varied fashion- on foot, by bicycle and in vehicles for the formal commencement of the new House.

V D Satheesan took oath at the 105th position on the list, while Pinarayi Vijayan was sworn in at number 133. The final member to take oath was Xavier Chittilappilly.

During his swearing-in as an MLA, Satheesan once again read out his full name — “Vadasseri Damodara Menon Satheesan” — days after drawing criticism over his use of the caste surname “Menon” while taking oath as chief minister on Monday.

The issue had sparked debate on social media and criticism from sections within the Congress, with some comparing his latest oath to the one he took in the Assembly in 2021, when he identified himself simply as “V D Satheesan”.

Defending his decision at a press conference on Wednesday, Satheesan said he had merely mentioned his father’s name and did not see anything inappropriate in doing so during such an occasion.

“Why is it wrong if I mention my father’s name. Shouldn't I remember him,” Satheesan told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

He added that he had also wished to mention his mother’s name, but “there was no scope for that”.

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