JD(U) leaders Shravan Kumar and Nishant Kumar, BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha and others take oath during the oath-taking ceremony of ministers of the Bihar government at Gandhi Maidan, in Patna. Photo: X|@NarendraModi/YT via PTI
Bihar cabinet expansion: Nitish's son Nishant among 31 sworn in as minister
In a strategic shift that cements BJP’s position at apex of state’s hierarchy, new council features ascent of Nishant Kumar and a dominant 15-berth share for saffron party
JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar and 30 others took oath as ministers on Thursday (May 7) at an event in the Gandhi Maidan.
Altogether 31 persons, drawn from all constituents of the five-party NDA in the state, were administered the oath of office by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain.
Besides Nishant Kumar and ex-deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, former ministers Shrawon Kumar and Ashok Choudhary have been inducted into the Samrat Choudhary cabinet.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and other senior leaders of the ruling NDA in the state.
BJP's new-found dominance
The BJP-led government was formed last month when JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar resigned as chief minister, following his election to the Rajya Sabha, and was succeeded by Choudhary, the first saffron party leader to head a government in Bihar.
Aimed at consolidating its new-found dominance in Bihar’s political hierarchy, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's major cabinet expansion is viewed as a strategic consolidation of NDA's power, cementing the BJP’s position at the apex of the state’s political structure.
A key highlight of this expansion is the inclusion of Nishant Kumar, son of veteran leader Nitish Kumar, which marks a rapid political ascent for the JD(U) newcomer. This induction into the cabinet comes just weeks after formally entering politics and the Janata Dal (United).
Also read: Nitish son Nishant Kumar may join Samrat Choudhary government in Bihar on May 7
Nishant Kumar, who initially declined a cabinet berth last month has reportedly agreed after persuasion from party leaders and workers. An engineering graduate, Nishant’s entry marks a significant moment for the JDU.
According to reports, both the BJP and JDU finalised their lists late Wednesday after hectic meetings in Patna attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior alliance leaders.
BJP gets largest share
BJP securing the largest share of 15 berths and the JD(U) getting 13 in the new council of ministers.
The allocation gives the BJP a slightly larger share than the JD(U) in the expanded cabinet, while smaller NDA allies have also been accommodated.
From the JDU side, several senior figures from the Nitish Kumar camp are returning, alongside new entrants. Shweta Gupta is set to debut as a minister, Almost all senior JDU leaders from the previous Nitish Kumar government have been accommodated.
On the BJP side, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha will be sworn in, along with leaders such as Kedar Gupta, Mithilesh Tiwari, Nitish Mishra, Pramod Chandravanshi, Rama Nishad, Lakhindra Paswan, Sanjay Singh Tiger, and Engineer Shailendra, who gets his first ministerial role.
The BJP leadership has decided to accommodate two Brahmin leaders — Nitish Mishra and Mithilesh Tiwari — in the new Bihar cabinet.
Fitting in alliance partners
Among NDA allies, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP(R)) has been allotted two ministerial positions, while Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) have received one berth each.
From alliance partners, Sanjay Paswan and Sanjay Singh have been named from LJP(R), Santosh Suman from HAM and Deepak Prakash from RLM.
Also read: Why is BJP struggling to finalise Bihar CM amid leadership transition? | Capital Beat
Initially, uncertainty persisted late into Wednesday night over representation from Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM). Kushwaha held extended discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Patna. His son Deepak Prakash, who previously served as a minister in the Nitish Kumar government despite not being a legislator, is tipped to join the cabinet from the RLM quota.
Amit Shah in Patna
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Patna on Wednesday evening to finalise the much-anticipated cabinet expansion of the Samrat Choudhary-led government. He was received at the airport by Choudhary, who made history last month as Bihar’s first BJP Chief Minister.
Following a visit to the Panchroopi Hanuman temple in Rajbansi Nagar—accompanied by BJP National President Nitin Nabin and General Secretary (Org) BL Santhosh—Shah moved to high-level strategy sessions with BJP and NDA leadership.
The upcoming cabinet expansion is viewed as a definitive show of strength for the BJP.