India, Dec. 2 -- The 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday with newly elected members being administered the oath of office.

They were sworn in by pro tem Speaker Narendra Narayan Yadav, who informed the House that members could take oath in Hindi, English, Urdu, Sanskrit or Maithili, and the process would begin with cabinet ministers.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who has been elected from the Tarapur assembly seat, was the first to take the oath, followed by fellow Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, who has retained Lakhisarai for a fourth consecutive term.

After taking the oath, the ministers greeted the pro tem Speaker and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who, incidentally, is a member of the Legislative Council. Next...