Appavu files papers, set to become Speaker

Before administering the pledge, Pitchandi issued instructions to MLAs about the process of taking pledge and briefed about the order of taking pledge. As Pitchandi was administered oath by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, on Monday at Raj Bhavan, the process of taking pledge commenced with Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Like the oath taking ceremony that happened at Raj Bhavan, Stalin while taking pledge took in the name of ‘Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin.’ Then pledge was administered to Ministers followed by leaders of Opposition, then former Speaker, Deputy Speaker, former Ministers and then MLAs of all the parties in alphabetical order.

While the DMK MLAs took pledge in the name of conscience, all AIADMK MLAs took pledge in the name of God. There were differences in the allies of AIADMK as BJP MLAs took pledge in the name of God, but all five PMK MLAs took pledge in the name of conscience. Even Congress MLAs differed as a set of MLAs took pledge in the name of God and another set of MLAs took pledge in the name of conscience.

The process of administering pledge went on for more than four hours in which 223 MLAs were administered pledge and for the remaining MLAs pledge will be taken on Wednesday, before the election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Meanwhile, in the morning, DMK candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker posts M Appavu and K Pitchandi filed their nominations before Assembly Secretary K Srinivasan, in the presence of Stalin and Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan.

After the Assembly session commenced, Stalin, in a statement, asked MLAs of all the parties to extend cooperation to fight against COVID-19. “Though MLAs might have been elected from various different parties it is time to unite to protect people. If MLAs face any problem in the fight against COVID-19 in their constituencies such as lack of beds, oxygen, vaccines and drugs they can immediately take the issue to the knowledge of the state government for immediate action,” said Stalin.