MLAs take oath in 6 languages as Delhi house session begins

The first session of the newly constituted Delhi Assembly began on Monday with MLAs of the ruling BJP and opposition AAP demonstrating the linguistic diversity of the legislature by taking their oaths in six languages - Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Urdu, Maithili and Punjabi.

The session also marked the BJP's return to power after 26 years and its shift to the right side of the Speaker's chair. BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker of the eighth Assembly and administered the oath by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at the Raj Niwas before the session began. As the senior-most legislator, Lovely oversaw the swearing-in of all newly elected MLAs. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was the first to take the oath, followed by her six Cabinet ministers.