Eight newly-elected Bihar MLCs take oath

Eight newly-elected members of the Bihar legislative council were on Sunday administered the oath by acting chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Tar Kishore Prasad and pro-tem speaker of the assembly Jitan Ram Manjhi were among those present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Devesh Chandra Thakur and Neeraj Kumar of the JD(U), BJP's Nawal Kishore Yadav and NK Yadav, CPI's Sanjay Kumar Singh and Kedar Nath Pandey and state Congress president Madan Mohan Jha took the oath.

All the seven MLCs have retained their respective seats of graduate and teacher constituencies which had fallen vacant in May but elections could be held only in October- November because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Independent MLC Sarvesh Kumar, who wrested the Darbhanga teacher constituency from JD(U)'s Dilip Kumar Chaudhary, was also sworn in.

The five-day session of the state legislature will begin on Monday, during which all members of the 243-strong newly-constituted assembly will be sworn in.

According to a statement issued by the Vidhan Sabha secretariat, the members will take oath on November 23-24 while Governor Phagu Chauhan will address a joint session of both Houses on November 26.

On November 25, the assembly will elect its new speaker and the session will conclude on November 27 with the government's reply to the debate on the governor's address.