New Delhi:
The oath-taking ceremony of UPA council of ministers had its share of interesting moments with some MPs committing faux pas and first timers going through nervous moments.
NCP MP from Tura, Agatha Sangma, took oath in Hindi and faltered thrice even as her father and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma looked visibly pleased.
Twenty-eight-year-old Agatha also invited some smiles when she asked the President's staff to lower the mike to her level before she took oath.
Sachin Pilot, the suave Gujjar leader who won from Ajmer this time, came wearing a colourful traditional headgear. He also took oath in Hindi as did his contemporaries Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada.
V N Narayansamy pre-empted President Pratibha Patil -- who couldn't help laughing at this -- and started taking oath before she could say, "I". TMC MP Saugata Ray looked embarrassed after making the same mistake. He said "sorry ma'm" and was told by Patil to repeat after her.
Jairam Ramesh forgot to sign the papers after taking oath and kept nodding his head and smiling after it was pointed out to him by the officials.
Pilot was watched intently by his father-in-law Farooq Abdullah -- who also took oath as a cabinet minister - and brother-in-law Omar, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Former UN under secretary and now MP from Thiruvananthpuram, Shashi Tharoor came in traditional gear, wearing a 'vesti' and 'angavastram'. However, his oath was in English with a strong foreign accent.
While Tharoor was all confident and walked up with a flourish, a few of the first-timers were nervous. Prateek Pratapbapu Patil, Congress MP from Sangli and grandson of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil, looked nervous while taking oath.
R P N Singh, the Congress MP from Kushinagar, was watched fondly by his wife and TV news anchor Sonia Singh. Kantilal Bhuria, Congress MP from Ratlam, walked upto Sonia Gandhi and touched her feet before taking oath. Later, 38-year-old Pradeep Jain, who was hand-picked by Rahul Gandhi, also sought Sonia's blessings before taking oath. Both are Ministers of State.
TMC MP and owner of Mohammadan Football Club, Sultan Ahmed, took oath in the name of Allah.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin was seated next to Rahul Gandhi and the two were seen talking to each other.