PATNA: Almost three months after the formation of the NDA government, the state cabinet was expanded on Tuesday with the induction of 17 more ministers. With this, the size of the cabinet has gone up to 30 against the maximum strength of 36 ministers.
Out of the 17 ministers inducted on Tuesday, nine are from BJP and eight from JD (U). BJP has a majority in the cabinet with nine new ministers in addition to seven already inducted when the NDA government was formed on November 14, last year. The number of ministers of JD (U), on the other hand, has gone up from four to 12. The Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Mukesh Sahni-led Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) have one minister each in the NDA government led by CM Nitish Kumar.
BJP national spokesperson, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, who got elected to Bihar legislative council was the first to be administered oath by governor Phagu Chauhan at Raj Bhawan here on Tuesday. He has been allotted the industries portfolio. Shahnawaz said earlier in the day that he had worked with Nitish in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government at the Centre when Nitish was Union agriculture minister.
Among the others sworn in were BJP’s MLA from Chhatapur and late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s cousin Neeraj Kumar Singh ‘Bablu’, JD (U) MLA and retired IPS officer and former DG Sunil Kumar and former ministers Sanjay Kumar Jha and Shrawan Kumar. Sanjay Jha, who has been allotted water resources and information and public relations departments, took the oath of office in Maithili.
Rajput community representation high
Apart from former ministers, including Jha, Shrawan Kumar, Madan Sahni and Leshi Singh of JD (U), and Pramod Kumar and Samrat Choudhary of BJP, all others are first-time state ministers.
The first-time ministers from BJP are Neeraj, Janak Ram, Gopalganj MLA Subhash Singh, Bankipore MLA Nitin Nabin, Nautan MLA Narayan Prasad and Saharsa MLA Alok Ranjan Jha. JD (U)’s first-time ministers are former DG and Bhorey MLA Sunil Kumar, Sumit Kumar Singh, who won as an Independent from Chakai and Amarpur (Banka) MLA Jayant Raj among others. A few of them are first- time MLAs as well, including former ADG Sunil Kumar, Jayant Raj and Sumit Kumar Singh.
While BJP remains in the role of ‘big brother’ with more ministers, both NDA allies – JD (U) and the saffron party ensured to address their respective caste arithmetic. For instance, the cabinet now has two Muslim faces — Shahnawaz and Mohammad Zama Khan, who won the last assembly election as a BSP candidate but joined JD (U) recently.
Representation from the Rajput community was the highest with BJP as well as JD (U) inducting two Rajput faces each from their quota. Both parties also had one new minister each from Kushwaha and Maithil Brahmin community.
Meanwhile, allegations of criminal antecedents of some newly inducted ministers were raised. For instance, retired IPS officer Amitabh Kumar Das wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday that he informed DGP that Leshi Singh had an “armoury” of AK 47 and AK 56 rifles. “Lesi Singh is the widow of the slain mafia don Bootan Singh,” Das wrote.
PATCH: Cabinet represents all areas, communities: NitishCM Nitish Kumar extended his greetings and congratulated the newly inducted ministers after the swearing-in ceremony. “I would request everyone to fulfil their responsibility and serve Bihar will complete dedication. We have also decided the ministerial portfolio to be allotted to the newly inducted ministers,” CM told reporters.
Nitish also claimed that efforts have been made to ensure representation from all sections of society. “Whenever a ministerial cabinet is constituted, the representation of every area, society and section is given due consideration. We try to ensure that almost all areas are duly represented. The size of the cabinet is limited but it remains our effort that people from all areas are represented in the cabinet in a broader sense,” the CM said.