Thiruvananthapuram | Congress leader Aryadan Shoukath, who won from the Nilambur assembly constituency in the recent bypoll there, was on Friday sworn in as an MLA, increasing the strength of the UDF opposition in the House to 42.

The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Assembly complex here, was attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, Speaker A N Shamseer, Excise Minister M B Rajesh, Revenue Minister K Rajan and others.

Shoukath, son of the late Congress stalwart Aryadan Muhammed, took oath in the name of God.

The Congress leader had defeated the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF candidate M Swaraj in the bypoll by a margin of 11,077 votes.

The Nilambur seat fell vacant after LDF-backed independent and two-time MLA P V Anvar resigned, setting off a heated political contest in the forest-fringe constituency.