Maithili among 5 languages spoken during oath taking in Jharkhand assembly

RANCHI: Hindi, Maithili, Bengali, Santhali and English were the languages spoken in Jharkhand assembly when the newly elected MLAs took oath on the first day of the inaugural session.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das, the first non-tribal to head the government in the state took oath in Hindi.

Tala Marandi (BJP), Anil Murmu (JMM), Nalin Soren (JMM), Laxman Tudu (BJP) and Champai Soren (JMM) took oath in Santhali while Raj Paliwar, who defeated senior JMM leader Haji Hussain Ansari from Madhupur, took the oath in Maithili.

Ramchandra Sahis (Ajsu) and Phoolchand Mandal (BJP) took the oath in Bengali and Jaiprakash Verma (BJP) in English.

Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren was among the rest of the MLAs who took oath in Hindi.

The five MLAs of the 81-member House, who could not take oath following their absence, would take oath whenever they attend the House, according to sources in the Assembly secretariat.

Protem Speaker Stephen Marandi adjourned the House till 11 am tomorrow after conducting the House.

BJP-Ajsu allaince formed the government after the five-phased polling in Jharkhand between November 25 and December 20 last month. The poll results were declared on December 23.