Anoop Jacob sworn in as MLA

Fresh face: Anoop Jacob, newly elected from Piravom, being sworn in as MLA in the Assembly on Thursday.

Anoop Jacob, the victorious candidate in Piravom, was sworn in as a member of the Kerala Assembly on Thursday.

Mr. Jacob, who succeeds his father T.M. Jacob in the constituency, took the oath in the name of God even as his mother Daisy Jacob, wife and other family members and his father's closest companions looked on from the visitors' gallery.

He had won by an impressive margin of 12,070 votes in a fiercely contested byelection, the result of which was declared on Wednesday.

As Mr. Jacob entered the House, ruling UDF legislators thumped their desks to welcome the new member. Mr. Jacob walked across the front row of the House with folded hands before stepping forward to take the oath. After taking the oath, he moved up the steps to the Speaker's podium and was received with a warm hug by Speaker G. Karthikeyan.

On descending from the podium, he shook hands with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and several UDF Ministers and MLAs before being led to the last seat in the ruling benches.

Members from both sides of the House reached his seat to greet him and for a while there was the interesting scene of the foursome of Mr. Jacob, Forests Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, Labour Minister Shibu Baby John and Panchayats Minister M.K. Muneer, all sons of former Ministers and stalwarts in Kerala politics of the past and present, being seated together and exchanging pleasantries.