The Kerala High Court on Wednesday invalidated the oath of 20 BJP councillors in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation because they modified the legally mandated script by invoking specific deities, political martyrs, and movements.
A single bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan on Wednesday ruled that under the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994, elected local body representatives cannot alter the statutory oath by adding names of deities, organisations, or individuals, holding that the oath must be taken strictly either “in the name of God” or through a solemn affirmation as prescribed by law.
The petition was filed by S. P. Deepak, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) council leader and CPM district committee member, is seeking to disqualify the 20 BJP councillors and set aside their election results.
Justice Kunhikrishnan clarified that individuals have the freedom to worship any deity or follow any religion, but the legally prescribed form of oath cannot be modified by adding or substituting words. However, the court did not invalidate the elections of the representatives concerned, stating that the democratic mandate would not be disturbed due to the defective oath-taking process.
The High Court simultaneously invalidated the oath of a Congress member from the Vadakkencherry Grama Panchayat who swore allegiance in the name of the late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
The court directed authorities to arrange for the affected councillors and panchayat members to take a fresh oath in accordance with the law within four weeks.
Hours after the High Court invalidated the oaths taken by 20 BJP councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, 19 of them retook their oaths in the name of God at the Corporation Council Hall on Wednesday. Elected in the 2025 local body polls, the 20 councillors had originally taken their oaths invoking Mother India, local deities, organisational martyrs, Bhagwan Parshuram, Attukal Amma, and Gurudevan. Following the court’s striking down of those initial oaths, the BJP leadership acted rapidly to enforce legal compliance and protect its narrow majority in the Corporation Council.
The BJP created history last year by winning control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The BJP secured 50 wards, while the LDF, which had governed the civic body for more than four decades, was reduced to 29 seats. The UDF won 19 seats, while two independents were also elected.