Nitish Cabinet Expansion: 12 from BJP, 9 from JDU; JD(U) Repeats; Half of New Faces from BJP

Patna: In a significant development in Bihar’s political landscape, a cohort of six fresh faces joined the ranks of 21 legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) as ministers on Friday. The swearing-in ceremony, presided over by Governor Vishwanath Arlekar at Raj Bhavan, marked a pivotal moment in the Nitish Kumar-led cabinet, elevating its total strength to 30, inclusive of the Chief Minister.

Among them, 15 are from the BJP, 13 from the JD(U), and one each from the ally parties and the independent quota. This formula replicates the distribution observed when the NDA government was formed in 2020.

The eagerly anticipated cabinet expansion unfolded 48 days subsequent to Nitish’s assumption of office, along with eight ministers, including deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, on January 28. This move swiftly followed Nitish’s departure from the grand alliance with the RJD and Congress, realigning his political allegiance with the BJP to form the NDA government in the state.

The latest additions to the ministerial roster, namely Santosh Singh, Surendra Mehta, Kedar Gupta, Krishnanandan Paswan, Hari Sahni, and Dilip Jaisawal, all hail from the BJP. This expansion saw a total of 12 BJP legislators being sworn in as ministers, alongside returning ministers such as Mangal Pandey, Neeraj Singh ‘Babloo’, Nitin Nabin, Renu Devi, and Janak Ram.

Among the BJP appointees, three ministers represent extremely backward classes (EBCs), with two each hailing from Brahmin, Rajput, Vaishya, and Dalit-Mahadalit communities, and one from the Kayastha caste. This strategic allocation of ministerial portfolios reflects a calculated approach towards catering to the diverse demographics of the state, particularly with an eye on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Similarly, the JD (U) under Nitish’s leadership introduced nine ministers during the cabinet expansion, comprising Lesi Singh (Rajput), Sunil Kumar (SC), Madan Sahni (EBC), Ashok Choudhary (SC), Maheshwar Hazari (SC), Sheela Kumari (EBC), Jayant Raj (OBC), Ratnesh Sada (SC), and Zama Khan (Muslim). Notably, Maheshwar Hazari’s inclusion comes in lieu of Sanjay Kumar Jha, who now represents the JD(U) in the Rajya Sabha.

Of the nine newly appointed ministers from the JD(U), four hail from the Dalit-Mahadalit community, underscoring efforts towards social inclusivity within the cabinet structure.

In a strategic move, the BJP has also inducted five members of the legislative council as ministers in the new cabinet expansion, further diversifying its representation.

While senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi extended congratulations to the newly inducted ministers, asserting the inclusivity of all societal segments in the cabinet, opposition voices raised concerns over perceived neglect of the Yadav (OBC) and Bhumihar (upper caste) communities during the expansion.