U.R. Pradeep and Rahul Mamkoothathil Sworn In as Kerala Legislators
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Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 4 (NationPress) The victors of last month's Assembly by-elections - CPI-M's U.R. Pradeep and Congress' Rahul Mamkootathil - took their oaths during a modest ceremony at the members' lounge within the legislature complex on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, ministers, legislators, along with family and friends of both new legislators, were in attendance. The event was highlighted by the presence of veteran Congress leader and former Speaker V.M. Sudheeran. Also present was former popular youth leader of the BJP, Sandeep Warrier, who resigned from the BJP just a week prior to the elections in Palakkad.
Pradeep represents the Chelakkara Assembly constituency in Thrissur district and previously held the same position from 2016 to 2021. He secured his victory by defeating his Congress opponent and former MP Ramya Haridas with a margin exceeding 12,000 votes.
This win in Chelakkara has been a significant relief for Vijayan, who faced considerable pressure due to an extensive campaign led by the Congress and the BJP. Although the CPI-M successfully retained the Chelakkara seat, the victory margin saw a reduction from over 39,000 votes in the 2021 Assembly elections to around 12,000 votes.
Mamkootathil, aged 34, who is the state Youth Congress president, emerged victorious from the Palakkad Assembly constituency, making him a fresh face within the Congress-led Opposition.
The election in Palakkad was notably competitive, with the BJP candidate finishing second and the CPI-M candidate coming in third, while Mamkootathil won with a remarkable margin exceeding 18,000 votes.
These two by-elections were necessitated following K.Radhakrishnan, the state SC/ST Welfare Minister, winning the Alathur Lok Sabha seat, and Congress leader Shafi Parambil, who previously represented the Palakkad seat, winning from the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat.
