Vadakkencherry ward member takes oath of office again

Palakkad: A ward member of Vadakkencherry grama panchayat on Saturday took the oath of office once again after Kerala high court set aside his earlier oath, taken in the name of former chief minister Oommen Chandy.Sunil Chuvattupadam, a Congress member elected from Ward 21 (Panniyankara), took the oath again “in the name of God” before standing committee chairperson Ambili Mohandas.He had earlier taken the oath saying, “By the grace of God, in the name of Oommen Chandy.” Another ward member challenged the validity of the oath before high court. The court declared the oath invalid and directed Chuvattupadam to take a fresh oath within four weeks of receiving the order.The court observed that under Kerala Panchayat Raj Act and Kerala Municipality Act, elected representatives can take oath only “in the name of God” or make a solemn affirmation, and not in the name of any individual.High court had also set aside the oaths taken by 20 BJP councillors of Thiruvananthapuram corporation over similar deviations from the prescribed format.