Cabinet expansion in Bihar: Shahnawaz Hussain was elected to Bihar’s legislative council last month.
Patna:
The expansion of Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet today turned out to be a message to ally BJP, which had wanted to take the dominant position in the alliance after its great victory in last year’s assembly elections. Of the 17 ministers incorporated today, the BJP obtained nine seats, the Janata Dal United of the Chief Minister eight. But the numerical advantage of the BJP – in the assembly and the government – was lost since all the important departments, such as Home, Personnel, Education, Rural Development, Rural Works, Water Resources, stayed with the JD (U).
The BJP now has 16 ministers with 22 portfolios between them. The JDU has 13 ministers with 21 portfolios. Each has had a place for Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and the Vikassheel Insaan Party.
Former Union Minister Shahnawaz Hussain, the biggest name in the new group of 17 ministers, received the industry portfolio in a state with almost no industry. Senior Deputy Minister Renu Devi received the disaster management portfolio.
Bihar’s cabinet, which can have up to 36 members, had only 13, apart from the Chief Minister.
The expansion had been pending since last year’s assembly elections in the state, as the BJP was having trouble finalizing the names of its candidates.
The BJP, which was the youngest partner in the state, had taken over the role of the older brother after its spectacular election results following the solo contest of Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janashakti Party.
The LJP had cut the votes of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, pushing it down from 71 seats to 43. It also gave the lead to the BJP, who won 74 seats. The JDU had directly blamed the LJP for its poor performance.
The final list was drawn up after BJP head of state Sanjay Jaiswal and Deputy Prime Ministers Tarakishore Prasad and Renu Devi met with Kumar on Sunday.
Shahnawaz Hussain, who was elected to Bihar’s legislative council last month, was the first to receive the oath of office from Governor Phagu Chauhan at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan this afternoon for the long-awaited cabinet expansion.
Others who were also sworn in today include JD (U) leaders Sanjay Kumar Jha, Shravan Kumar, Lesi Singh and Madan Sahni and Pramod Kumar of the BJP. All of them had held ministerial positions in the previous government.
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