There was no ruckus or no raucous scenes.

Newly elected legislators cutting across party lines listened with rapt attention as chief minister Nitish Kumar played political guru to them on a balmy Sunday afternoon.

Gleaning from a vast political experience spanning across four decades, Nitish focused on 98 first-time MLAs in the 243-member House and provided tip after tip, sharing with them the secret of leading a successful legislative life.

"The first tip is to speak in the Legislative Assembly without any hesitation," Nitish said. "Speak the moment you get a chance. Think that you know everything. Let the words flow. The quality of what you speak will improve with time."

Nitish suggested that the debutant legislators should not procrastinate by convincing themselves that they should learn in the first session and speak from the next one. "I have seen those, who have delayed speaking like this, are still waiting to start. Once you begin, your style will develop on its own," he added.

Nitish was speaking during the 95th foundation day celebrations of the Bihar Legislative Assembly and orientation programme for legislators. Also present were Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Legislative Council chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh, deputy chief minister Tejaswi, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Prem Kumar and state parliamentary affairs minister Shrawan Kumar.

On February 7, 1921, the state legislature was inaugurated and the House met for the first time in then-governor-ruled Bihar and Odisha.

Teaching the art of asking questions in the House, Nitish told legislators to concentrate on the question. "Speak clearly and don't start with a foreword because the main thing you want to say will get lost. Catch the eye of the Speaker. If he forms an impression that you raise relevant and meaningful issues, you will get chances again and again," he added.

He had a word of caution, too: "You all must read the rules related to proceedings in the House and the Constitution. Read them again and again. There are rules for everything, including when you can ask questions or when you can raise hands."

Nitish told the legislators that if their behaviour and work were good, the public would love them and feel proud of them. They will get elected again and again, and may even go to Lok Sabha.

"Remember, this is democracy. If you don't use this opportunity for the welfare of people, the public will throw you to the ground."

Nitish advised that raising issues of public importance should not be a matter of party politics and the state government should not make them a "matter of prestige".

The budget session starts from February 25 and Nitish waxed eloquent on the need for being punctual in the House and attending the session from start to end. "What's the point in attending the session for four hours? Did we work only for four hours during the election days," he asked.

The din created by Opposition members in the House, he quipped, is "part of legislative life. After all, they (the Opposition) have to sit on the other side. They will, of course, make noise for the next five years."

When his turn to speak came, Tejaswi said he considered Nitish his guru and praised his governing style. The deputy chief minister stressed the need for young legislators to learn from the seniors.