Patna: Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar on Thursday at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, marking his tenth term in office. Alongside him, 26 ministers took the oath of office and secrecy, with several new faces joining the cabinet.
Among them is Deepak Prakash, who was appointed minister despite not contesting the recent state elections. Prakash, largely unknown to the public on his own, is the son of prominent Bihar leader Upendra Kushwaha. Kushwaha commands significant influence among the state’s OBC Kurmi and Kushwaha (Koeri) communities, collectively known as the “Luv-Kush” vote bank.
Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), performed well in the elections, winning four of the six seats it contested. However, Kushwaha chose to elevate his son to a ministerial post instead of selecting one of his party’s elected legislators. Deepak Prakash is required to secure a seat in either the Bihar Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly within six months to retain his ministerial position.
The RLM secured victories in Bajpatti, Madhubani, Sasaram, and Dinara. Rameshwar Kumar Mahato won Bajpatti by 3,395 votes, Madhav Anand took Madhubani by 20,552 votes, Snehlata won Sasaram by over 25,000 votes, and Alo Kumar Singh claimed Dinara with a margin of 10,834 votes.
