Bihar Assembly Opens with New Speaker and Displays of Unity
The Bihar Assembly commenced its new session with the election of a new Speaker and displays of camaraderie across party lines. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prem Kumar secured the Speaker's position, while newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) took their oaths.
BJP Retains Speaker Post
Prem Kumar, a nine-time MLA from Gaya Town representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was elected as the Assembly Speaker. The BJP, being the largest party with 89 seats, successfully retained the Speaker's post. This occurred despite speculation that their ally, Janata Dal (United) with 85 seats, also had interest in the position. Nand Kishore Yadav of the BJP was the Speaker in the previous Assembly.
Oath-Taking Highlights: Unity and Familiar Faces
The first day of the 18th Bihar Assembly saw new MLAs taking their oaths. Notably, this is the first time in a decade that the 243-member House will have over 200 members from the ruling National Democratic Alliance. The Opposition Mahagathbandhan holds 35 seats.
The oath-taking ceremony, led by protem Speaker Narendra Narayan Yadav, included several noteworthy moments:
- Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was seen touching Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's feet.
- BJP Danapur MLA and minister Ram Kripal Yadav embraced Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD.
Ram Kripal Yadav's Embrace: A Moment of Political Camaraderie
Ram Kripal Yadav's embrace of Tejashwi Yadav drew significant attention, given their shared history. Before joining the BJP in 2014, Ram Kripal Yadav spent over three decades with the RJD and was a close confidant of Tejashwi's father, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Despite losing the last election to Tejashwiโs sister Misa Bharti, Yadav emphasized the importance of political camaraderie in a democracy. He referred to Tejashwi as "like my nephew."
Language Diversity in Oath-Taking
Legislators were given the option to take their oaths in various languages, including:
- Hindi
- English
- Urdu
- Sanskrit
- Maithili
Cabinet ministers were given priority in the oath-taking order. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary took his oath in Hindi and shook hands with Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Another Deputy CM, Vijay Kumar Sinha, also embraced Tejashwi after his oath.
Other Notable Moments
- Alinagar BJP MLA and folk singer Maithili Thakur, wearing traditional Mithila headgear, took her oath in Maithili.
- Darauli MLA Vishnu Deo Paswan took his oath in English.
- Most of Bihar's 11 Muslim MLAs took their oaths in Urdu.
Looking Ahead
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is scheduled to address the five-day session on Wednesday.
