Chennai, May 24 : Nine newly-elected MLAs on Monday took oath of affirmation as members of the 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Assembly Speaker M.Appavu administered the oath in his chamber at the State Secretariat.

Among those who took oath were Backward Classes Welfare Minister S S Sivasankar and Tourism Minister M.Mathiventhan elected from Kunnam and Rasipuram Assembly constituencies respectively.

They could not take oath along with other Members on May 11 as they were infected with COVID-19. After recovering from the infection, they were sworn in as MLAs today.

The others who took oath are S.Gandhi Rajan (Vedasandur), Esakki Subbaiah (Ambasamudram), former AIADMK Ministers Kadambur Raju (Koilpatti), C.Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai) and R.Vaithilingam (Orathanadu), M.Varalakshmi (Chengalpattu) and A.G. Venkatachalam (Anthiyur).

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Minister for Water Resources and Leader of the House Duraimurugan and Chief Government Whip Govi. Chezhian were present on the occasion.(UNI)