A decade out of power is a long time even for the dyed-in-the-wool politicians, especially if they are from big parties such as the Congress or the RJD.

When several of them once again took oath as ministers after a long gap, sheer relief and joy was writ large on their faces. They were back in business.

Relief, because some of them did not know till the wee hours on Friday whether the much-cherished invitation to take oath amid a galaxy of non-BJP political stars from all over the country in a mega ceremony at the Gandhi Maidan would come from Raj Bhavan. Joy, because they will get to rule Bihar for the next five years as part of chief minister Nitish Kumar's cabinet.

Leading the group of beaming old-timers was 63-year-old Abdul Bari Siddiqui, the prominent Muslim face of Lalu Prasad's RJD, who clinched the Alinagar Assembly seat in Darbhanga this time, his seventh term as a legislator.

Siddiqui was first elected an MLA in 1977 during the JP Movement. He was minister four times and helmed different departments including education during the 15-year RJD regime from 1990-2005, and remained loyal to Lalu during the party's 10-year low after that, serving as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly between 2010 and 2013. He had retained his seat even during the Nitish wave during the 2010 Assembly elections.

"I am happy that I will get a chance to serve the people of the state once again," Siddiqui said before rushing to other engagements following the oath-taking ceremony.

As Lalu watched over his flock at the function, next from the old-timers to take oath was Chandrika Rai. Though at 54 he looks quite young to be called a veteran, he has been elected a legislator for the sixth time from Parsa in Saran.

Rai is the son of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai and served as a minister during the RJD rule; suave, educated and proficient in information technology - a rarity in that era.

"Good governance and only good governance would be a priority for me while discharging my duty as a minister. It is a matter of joy for me that I have got a chance to work with Nitish Kumar," he said.

Among the RJD pack was also Ram Vichar Rai, the four-term strongman from Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur. He remained an MLA during the 15-year RJD regime and also served as a minister.

Ram, considered a staunch Lalu supporter, shot to fame when he manhandled a senior BJP leader in the Assembly. He also faced a number of cases lodged against him.

For the Congress, too, the swearing-in ceremony turned a homecoming to the corridors of power after over a decade. It got four ministers led by Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Ashok Kumar Choudhary, who swore-in in front of Rahul Gandhi.

Choudhary, now an MLC, was jail minister during the RJD rule. His father Mahavir Chaudhary was an MLA eight times since 1957 from Barbigha in Sheikhpura and was several times a minister in successive Congress governments.

The Congress has made a comeback this election, winning 27 out of the total 41 seats it contested as part of the Grand Alliance with the JDU and the RJD - a vast improvement from the 2010 Assembly polls when it had won just four seats, its lowest ever score.

Choudhary's elevation as a minister comes after his able leadership of the party in the state.

A party source said: "Though Rahul did not want the Congress to participate in the government, he respected the view among the newly elected legislators that being in the government will instil energy and enthusiasm among the leaders and workers alike as well as provide a chance to work for the people at the grassroots."

Among the Congress ministers were Awadhesh Kumar Singh, a self-made strongman from Wazirganj in Gaya.

Congress state spokesperson Harkhu Jha said: "This is the sixth term of Awadhesh as an MLA. He first got elected to the Assembly in 1980 and also served a minister of state during the party's rule under Bhagwat Jha Azad as CM in the 1980s. He has always been a popular leader in his area."

Abdul Jalil Mastan, a six-term Congress MLA from Amour in Purnea, has been roped in as the minority face of the party among its four ministers. He was offered a position as a minister of state in 2000, when the Congress was part of the RJD government, but had refused to take oath to protest being given a junior position.