CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu minister S Keerthana could not take oath as an MLA in the State assembly on Monday after failing to present her Certificate of Election, which is mandatory for administering the oath, an official said.When assembly principal secretary K Srinivasan announced her name and invited her to take oath, Keerthana walked towards the podium placed in front of the chief minister’s chair. MLAs taking oath are required to face the pro tem speaker while doing so.As Keerthana approached the podium, principal secretary K Srinivasan raised his hand and asked her for the certificate, as seen in the live telecast of the Assembly proceedings.However, she was unable to produce the certificate, and what she replied to him was not clear.Asked what transpired, an official told PTI: “It seems she did not have her certificate of election with her readily. Since she could not submit the certificate, the senior official politely declined to allow her to take oath. She may take oath whenever she submits her certificate of election.”The official said that MLAs were instructed to bring their certificates without fail, and the government had also made this clear in a press note.When Velachery TVK legislator R Kumar was about to take oath after submitting his certificate, principal secretary K Srinivasan stopped him, pointing out that the certificate carried the name of another person.It later emerged that Kumar had mistakenly submitted the certificate of his party colleague seated next to him, which he had handed over to Srinivasan.Immediately, Kumar went back to his seat and brought his certificate of election and gave it to Srinivasan. Kumar collected the colleague’s certificate from the official and gave it back to the party man, also an MLA. Later, Kumar was allowed by the official to take oath.Kumar won from Velachery by a margin of 33,305 votes, defeating his nearest AIADMK rival MK Ashok. Congress candidate Aassan Maulaana JMH finished in third place.All MLAs, including chief minister C Joseph Vijay, first submitted their certificates and were then asked by officials to take the oath as per constitutional procedure.Keerthana, who was the ninth-ranked minister in the Cabinet, was the last to be called to take oath.She was elected from the Sivakasi Assembly constituency, defeating Congress candidate Ashokan G by 11,670 votes. Former minister and AIADMK leader KT Rajenthrabhalaji finished third.The current strength of the Tamil Nadu Assembly is 233. Vijay won from Perambur and Tiruchi East, and has since resigned from the Tiruchi East seat.(With agency inputs)
