Thiruvananthapuram, May 21 -- All eyes were riveted at CPI(M) veteran and Legislative Leader of Opposition in the Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan who moments after being sworn in as an MLA shook hands with Pro tem Speaker G Sudhakaran on Thursday, marking an end to the acrimonious run-up to the Assembly polls.

After Vijayan took his oath, he walked up to the Speaker's podium, and Sudhakaran also got up from his chair and walked to greet the former chief minister of the state.

Sudhakaran had ended his over 60-year-old association with CPI(M) and contested as an Independent candidate with the backing of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) from Ambalapuzha in Alappuzha, his home constituency, from where he has been elected MLA...