Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Monday took the oath as Member of Legislative Assembly for the 12th time.
Accompanied by senior leaders, including K. Anbazhagan, Arcot N. Veeraswami and M.K. Stalin, the DMK president came to the chamber of Speaker D. Jayakumar around 11 a.m. and greeted him on his election to the post. The Speaker thanked him.
“Observe sharply,” was the reply of Mr. Karunanidhi, who was elected from the Thiruvarur constituency, to the question of a reporter on the strategy of his party in the proceedings of the Assembly.
Former Law Minister Durai Murugan, who was returned from Katpadi, also took the oath, for the eighth time.
The Speaker told reporters that till now, 233 MLAs had taken the oath. The vacancy for one seat had been caused by the death of Environment Minister N. Mariyam Pitchai. The nomination of Anglo-Indian MLA had to be made by Governor Surjit Singh Barnala.
Time would be given to members of the Opposition to express their views as per rules of the House. The position had already been stated by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
On the duration of the session that will begin with the Governor's address on Friday, he replied that it was for the Business Advisory Committee to decide.
Asked about the implementation of the Supreme Court's last month order setting aside the election of Congress candidate P. Veldurai from Cheranmahadevi in the 2006 polls, Mr Jayakumar said it would be carried out after taking legal opinion and consulting the Law Department.
To a question on the petition against Mr. Durai Murugan, contending that he had affixed his signature a day before the date of his filing nomination papers in Katpadi, the Speaker said the matter fell within the domain of the Election Commission.
