Hours after thirty-one legislators of the newly formed Janata Dal United (JDU)-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Mahagathbandhan government took oath on Tuesday in the much-awaited Cabinet expansion, the portfolio accolation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government was announced. As many as 16 ministers from key ally RJD, 11 from JDU, two from Congress and one from HAM, besides an independent candidate were sworn in during an event that took place at Patna’s Raj Bhawan.
While Nitish kept the crucial Home Department portfolio, Deputy CM Tejashwhi Yadav was given the charge of Health Department in the first cabinet expasion in Bihar. While JDU leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary got Finance Department, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav was given charge of Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Additionally, CM Nitish has also kept with himself general administration, cabinet secretariat, election and “any other departments not assigned to others”, said an official communication.
Meanwhile, Tejashwi has got key portfolios like road construction, urban housing and development and rural works.
Only Vijay Kumar Chaudhary has got finance, commercial tax and parliamentary affairs ministry and Bijendra Yadav was alloted power and planning and development ministries.
Here’s A Look At Porforlio Allocation In Bihar Cabinet Expansion
The new cabinet, predictably, has a sizeable number of Yadavs and Muslims, though members of other sections of the society also find a place. Three of the ministers are women – Sheela Kumari and Leshi Singh (both JDU) and Anita Devi (RJD).
There are five Muslims – Zama Khan (JDU), Mohd Afaque Alam (Congress) and Mohd Shamim, Mohd Israil Mansuri and Shahnawaz Alam (all RJD).
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central leadership is scheduled to hold a meeting with the party’s Bihar unit leaders in the national capital later in the day. BJP president J P Nadda and senior party leader Amit Shah will chair the meeting. The party’s general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh will also be present, BJP’s national media co-incharge Sanjay Mayukh said.
