Expansion of Bihar Cabinet with Induction of Seven BJP MLAs
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Synopsis
On February 26, Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet by inducting seven BJP MLAs. The new ministers took their oaths in a ceremony presided over by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, attended by key political figures. This move aims to ensure representation across various communities and strengthen the BJP's position in the state.
Key Takeaways
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet.
- Seven BJP MLAs were inducted into the cabinet.
- New ministers took their oaths at Raj Bhavan.
- The cabinet now consists of 37 members.
- Assembly elections in Bihar are set for 2025.
Patna, Feb 26 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, expanded his cabinet on Wednesday by bringing in seven BJP MLAs.
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers during a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan, which was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and Assembly Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav.
The BJP ministers include Sanjay Saraogi, a five-term MLA from Darbhanga, who is a well-known leader in the Marwari community and took his oath in Maithili.
Sunil Kumar, who represents Bihar Sharif, has been elected five times and belongs to the Koeri caste. He was previously associated with the JD-U before joining the BJP in 2015.
Jibesh Kumar Mishra, the MLA from Jale, belongs to the Bhumihar community and has prior ministerial experience, also taking his oath in Maithili.
Raju Kumar Singh represents Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur and is from the Rajput caste; he previously was with the Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) before joining the BJP.
Motilal Prasad is the MLA from Riga in Sitamarhi and belongs to the Vaishya community.
Krishna Kumar Mantu, representing Amnour in Saran district, is from the Kurmi caste and recently gained attention for organizing a significant ‘Kurmi Chetna Rally’ in Patna.
Vijay Kumar Mandal, from the Sikti assembly constituency in Araria district, is part of the Kewat community, classified under the extremely backward classes.
With the induction of these leaders, the BJP has ensured representation for all societal segments, targeting groups such as Lav-Kush (Kurmi-Koiri), Bhumihar, Rajput, Vaishya (represented by Sanjay Saraogi and Motilal Prasad), and EBC (represented by Vijay Kumar Mandal).
Before the expansion, state BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal resigned from his ministerial role in accordance with the party's one man, one post principle.
Following the expansion, the count of ministers in Nitish Kumar’s council has risen to 37, with the BJP's representation increasing from 16 to 22, while the JD-U retains 13 ministers, including the Chief Minister; one minister is from the Hindustani Awam Morcha and another is an independent.
On Tuesday, BJP President J.P. Nadda and state in-charge Vinod Tawde visited Patna and convened a meeting with the state unit’s core committee to strategize for the party's future.
Assembly elections in Bihar are anticipated to occur at the end of 2025.
