Ranchi, Jan. 4: The language was varied but the content was same as 70 out of the 81 newly elected legislators took oath on the first day of the special session of the state Assembly today.
The first to be sworn in was deputy chief minister and state BJP president Raghubar Das, followed by Ajsu president Sudesh Mahto, also a deputy chief minister.
The proceedings chaired by pro tem Speaker Teklal Mahto began at 11am and soon the newly elected members took oath one by one in one of four languages — Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Santhali.
JMM MLAs Lobin Hembram (Borio), Hemlal Murmu (Barhait), Simon Marandi (Littipara), Nalin Soren (Sikaripara), Ramdas Soren (Ghatshila) and JVM(P) MLA Mistri Soren (Maheshpur) took oath in Santhali. Phulchand Mandal, JVM MLA from Sindri and Ramchandra Sahis, Ajsu MLA from Jugsalai took oath in Bengali, while the majority of MLAs belonging to the minority community chose to take oath in Urdu.
Ten MLAs could not be sworn in today and would be administered the oath of office on January 6.
Those missing included jailed MLAs Anosh Ekka (Kolebira), Independent Harinarayan Rai (Jarmundi) and JMM’s Paulus Surin (Torpa). While Ekka and Rai are facing graft charges, Surin happens to be a former CPI(Maoist) member facing several criminal cases. The others who were absent were JMM legislators Hemant Soren (Dumka), Sita Soren (Jama), Bidyut Baran Mahto (Baharagora), JD(U)’s Gopal Krishna Patar alias Raja Peter (Tamar), Independent Bidesh Singh from Panki, Congress’s Madhav Lal Singh (Gomia) and Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee (Marxist Co-ordination Committee).
While 69 legislators took oath in the first half of proceedings, two Congress MLAs — Chandrashekhar Dubey (Bishrampur) and Yogendra Saw (Barkagaon) — took oath in the second half.
Women members including Congress legislator from Sisai Geeta Shree Oraon, Jagannathpur JBSP MLA Geeta Koda and Chhatarpur JD(U) MLA Sudha Choudhary stole the show with their humble “namaste” to all after taking oath of office.
The second half also witnessed filing of nomination for the coveted post of Speaker by BJP’s Ranchi MLA C.P. Singh. He submitted the papers in six sets. As the opposition JVM-Congress had already decided not to contest the post, Singh was all set to become the next Assembly Speaker on Wednesday.
The Assembly missed many veterans who either lost the elections or were elected to the Lok Sabha. They included former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, BJP’s Sarayu Roy and Arjun Munda, former JD (U) leader Radha Krishna Kishore and former deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi.
