RANCHI: Linguistic diversity was at display during the oath-taking of MLAs in Jharkhand Assembly as more than one fourth in 81-member Assembly preferred to take oath in regional languages during the three day Assembly session on Monday.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren took oath as Barhait MLA in Hindi. With this, Dumka Assembly seat, from where Soren was also declared winner, remains vacant. Fifty-five of the MLAs took oath in Hindi, while 22 others read their pledges in 10 different regional languages. A maximum number of 5 MLAs took oath in Ho language, followed by Khortha (4), Santhali (3), Angika (2), while four others read their pledges in Maithili, Bangla, Mundari and Kudukh. Three of the BJP MLAs also took oath in Sanskrit, but JMM’s Haji Hussain Ansari preferred Urdu.
Pro-tem Speaker Stephen Marandi administered oath of office and secrecy to the newly elected MLAs in Jharkhand Assembly. JMM MLA from Bahragora Samir Mohanti, could not attend the Assembly on Monday due to some personal reasons.
As Soren left Dumka seat and took oath as Barhait MLA, speculations are rife that his wife Kalpana Soren will make her debut in Jharkhand Assembly from the Dumka, considered a stronghold of Soren family, which is being dominated by JMM Chief Shibu Soren since 1980. Hemant Soren had lost the seat in 2014 polls from BJP’s Louis Marandi, but was declared winner from Barhait. “Since I was declared winner from both seats, as per the provisions of the constitution, I can retain one seat and have chosen Barhait,” said Soren. The party will try to take Dumka along with it, he added.
Meanwhile, Nala MLA Ravindra Nath Mahto of JMM filed his nomination for Speaker. “As no other candidate has filed his nomination for the post, Mahto is all set to take oath as Speaker on Tuesday,” Soren said.