THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Veteran MLA G Sudhakaran was on Wednesday sworn in as the pro tem Speaker of the 16th Kerala Assembly during a brief ceremony held at Lok Bhavan here.

A former CPI(M) leader, Sudhakaran, won the April 9 Assembly polls with the UDF's support from the Ambalapuzha constituency.Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath to Sudhakaran in the presence of Chief Minister V D Satheesan and members of the state cabinet.Cabinet ministers, including Ramesh Chennithala, C P John, O J Janeesh, P C Vishnunath, Bindhu Krishna and Roji M John, attended the ceremony and greeted the pro tem speaker.

According to an official notification, the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected members of the 16th Kerala Assembly will be held at 9 am on May 21 under the chairmanship of the pro tem Speaker at the Assembly complex here.The election of the Speaker of the Assembly will be held on May 22, it said. The Governor will address the Assembly on May 29, the notification added.