Staff Reporter / PATNA
Nitish Kumar Cabinet in Bihar was expanded today with induction of 17 new Ministers. Nine ministers are from BJP quota while eight are from alliance partner JD(U).
More than twenty years after he was appointed as a Union minister, BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain today took oath as a minister in the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar. He took oath in Urdu.
Governor Phagu Chauhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to new Ministers at Raj Bhavan in Patna. Senior BJP leader and Spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain was included in the Cabinet. Sumit Singh, an independent MLA was also included in Cabinet. Ms Lesi Singh of JD(U) has been inducted into the State Cabinet while Janak Ram of BJP who became a Minister is not a member of any house at present.
With induction of 17 Ministers, the total number Ministers in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet has gone up to 31. Sixteen Ministers are from the BJP quota, thirteen from Janata Dal (United) and one each from Hindustani Awam Morcha and Vikassheel Insaan Party. Portfolios were allocated among new members. Shahnawaz Hussain has been made Industry Minister while the Road Construction Department has been given to Nitin Navin. Education portfolio has been given to Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Shravan Kumar is the new Rural Development Minister.