PATNA, Dec. 2 -- he inaugural session of the 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly got underway on Monday with the newly-elected members taking the oath of office. Pro-tem speaker Narendra Narayan Yadav administered the procedure allowing the members of recite oath in five languages -- Hindi, English, Urdu, Sanskrit or Maithili. Ministers in the Nitish cabinet were the first to take oath, with deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, elected from Tarapur assembly seat, coming to the dais first. He was followed by another Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, who has retained Lakhisarai for a fourth consecutive term. After the ministers, veteran BJP MLA Prem Kumar, who is tipped to be the next speaker, took oath, followed by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. After taking oath, the ministers greeted the pro-tem speaker and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who, incidentally, is a member of the Legislative Council. India's unity in diversity was in full display on the first day, as members elected from different regions cutting across party lines took oath in different languages. There was also bonhomie in the House with the newly-elected members shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. While nearly a dozen of those elected from the Mithilanchal region, including folk singer Maithili Thakur, the youngest-ever legislator in the history of the Bihar Assembly, took the pledge in Maithili, those from the AIMIM and Seemanchal region preferred Urdu. Many from the Mithilanchal region donned the tradition Mithila head gear 'Paag'. Maithili Thakur also put on 'Paag' to present a regional flavour. "It is a very big day for me, as I have become an MLA after taking the oath today. It is the beginning of a new life today," she said. There were a few like former Deputy CM Tar Kishor Prasad, BJP MLA from Katihar for the fifth consecutive term, and Sonbarsha MLA Ratnesh Sada, who took oath in Sanskrit. At least two members, Vishnu Deo Paswan and Rahul Kumar Singh, elected from Darauli and Dumraon, respectively, took oath in English. Darauli MLA Vishnu DEO Paswan took oath in English, while former Md Shahabuddin's son Osama Shahab, who won for the first time from Raghunathpur seat in Siwan, took oath in Hindi. There were also a few fumbles in oath taking and the pro-tem speaker was prompt to ask for repeat. Some members swore "in the name of God" as well as "in the name of Truth", only to be corrected by the pro-tem speaker. Another MLA, Anita Mahto, who made her debut from Warsaliganj, left the Chair bemused as she launched into a soliloquy before reading out the statement of oath. She said, "I....a daughter of the Bahujan community... do swear in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution, standing in this temple of democracy, in the land of Buddha". The pro-tem speaker curtly told the MLA that she must stick to the statement of the oath provided to her. The inaugural session of the 18th Vidhan Sabha will continue till November December 5. On Tuesday, the election of the new speaker is scheduled, while a day later Governor Arif Mohammad Khan will address the joint sitting of the state legislature. It will be followed by government's reply to the motion of thanks on the Governor's address. The tabling of the second supplementary budget is also scheduled during the session. In the new assembly, BJP is the largest party with 89 members, followed by JD(U) (84) and LJP-RV (19). The RJD had emerged as the largest party in 2020 but it has managed to get just 25 seats to be eligible for the LoP position, while NDA enjoys a brute majority with 202 seats in the 243-member House. A significant aspect of the 18th Vidhan Sabha is that it has just 111 MLAs who have been repeated from the 17th Vidhan Sabha. Another first this time is the absence of any independent MLA. Ahead of the start of the inaugural session, RJD MLA Bhai Virendra, said that the morale of his party was high as the people had voted for them in large numbers. "We might be fewer in numbers, but that will not diminish our resolve and commitment to raise people-centric issues," he added. The lone BSP MLA Satish Kumar Singh Yadav refuted speculations of being in contact with the BJP. "I will work for development of my constituency, Ramgarh. I am in the BSP and I will remain there," he added....