Twenty-nine newly-elected Members of the Legislative Assembly took the oath during the first session of the 13th Assembly here on Friday. Pro tem speaker T. Thiagarajan administered the oath of affirmation.
Addressing the members before the start of the proceedings, Mr. Thiagarajan conveyed the appreciation of the House to the people of the Union Territory and thanked them on behalf of the members.
He said that the members should treat their election as an opportunity to fulfil the aspirations of the people in the next five years.
Chief Minister N. Rangasamy was the first to take the oath of office on Friday. He took the pledge in the name of God.
He was followed by former Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam.
Former Ministers, including V.M.C. Sivakumar, P. Angalane, Malladi Krishna Rao, E. Valsaraj, and A. Namassivayam, also took oath.
Among members of the AIADMK, the party's Puducherry unit secretary A. Anbalagan pledged in the name of his conscience.
While all other members took oath in Tamil, Mr. Krishna Rao, representing the Yanam constituency, an enclave of the Union Territory in Andhra Pradesh, took oath in Telugu.
The only member absent during the session was A.M.H Nazeem, who was elected from the Karaikal (South) constituency representing the DMK. Sources close to him said that he had gone to Chennai to meet DMK president M. Karunanidhi to wish him on his birthday.
Mr. Nazeem later took oath in the chamber of the pro tem speaker about 20 minutes after the session.
