Patna: A Bihar government notification issued by the Cabinet Department has triggered a debate on social media after the designation “Deputy Chief Minister” was omitted beside the names of senior ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav.
The controversy emerged following a May 7 notification formally detailing the portfolio allocations of the chief minister and cabinet ministers in the Bihar government.
While the document used the designation “Chief Minister” for Samrat Choudhary, both Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav were listed simply as “Ministers” alongside their respective departments.
Cabinet Secretary Denies Post Abolished
Responding to the controversy, Arvind Kumar Chaudhary said the post of Deputy Chief Minister had not been abolished and remained fully intact.
He argued that it was not mandatory for every official notification to mention specific political designations.
The official further pointed out that during the oath-taking ceremony held on April 15, both leaders had formally taken oath as Deputy Chief Ministers and were identified as such in the government notification issued that day.
Social Media Users Cite Earlier Notification
Despite the clarification, social media users questioned the omission, citing a previous Cabinet Department notification issued on November 21 last year.
That document had explicitly mentioned the designation “Deputy Chief Minister” alongside the names of the then office-holders, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
The debate also revived discussion around the constitutional status of the post.
India’s Constitution does not specifically mention the office of Deputy Chief Minister and primarily refers to the Chief Minister and other categories of ministers within the cabinet structure.
‘Could Be A Printing Error’
Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who also holds the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio, said the omission could potentially be a printing error.
He added that the department would rectify the issue if required.
