The Kerala High Court has ordered 20 BJP councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to take their oath of office again after ruling that their earlier swearing-in did not comply with the law. The court held that elected representatives must strictly follow the oath format prescribed under the Kerala Municipality Act.
The case stemmed from the councillors’ oath-taking ceremony following the local body elections. Several councillors invoked the names of various deities, Bharat Mata, martyrs and other figures while taking the oath, instead of using the legally prescribed form. A petition challenging the validity of the oaths was filed by CPM councillor and parliamentary party leader S.P. Deepak.
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan observed that the law permits an oath only in the name of God or through a solemn affirmation. The court ruled that adding other names or references falls outside the statutory format and therefore cannot be treated as a valid oath. As a result, the swearing-in of the 20 BJP councillors was declared invalid.
The judgment also covered a ward member from Vadakkenchery in Palakkad district, whose oath invoked the name of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The court directed all affected elected representatives to retake the oath within the stipulated period.
