Bihar: Nitish inducts seven BJP MLAs as ministers in election year
The cabinet expansion took place after BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal quit as revenue minister in line with the party principle of 'one man one post'
Seven MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were on Wednesday (February 26) inducted into Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet ahead of the budget session and just a few months before the state Assembly elections.
The seven are Sanjay Saraogi, Sunil Kumar, Jibesh Kumar, Rahu Kumar Singh, Moti Lal Prasad, Vijay Kumar Mandal and Krishan Kumar Mantoo.
The Bihar governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office to the new inductees at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan in Patna.
The exercise takes the strength of the cabinet to 30, with 15 BJP ministers, 13 of the Janata Dal (United), one from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and one independent. Six seats remain vacant.
Also read: Amid friction, NDA to put up a united face ahead of Bihar polls
Jaiswal quits ministry
The cabinet expansion took place soon after BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal resigned as the revenue minister in line with the saffron party's principle of “one man one post”.
“I am thankful that the Central leadership has given me the responsibility of the party's state unit,” he said ahead of quitting the ministry.
Wednesday’s expansion comes two days before the commencement of the Bihar budget session on Friday.
Also read: Will Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant enter politics?
BJP-JD(U) alliance
Union minister and BJP president JP Nadda and Nitish Kumar met over the expected cabinet expansion.
Many BJP ministers in Bihar now hold more than one department. Their work may now be reassigned among the new ministers.
The BJP and JD(U) are keen to put everything in order before they launch their campaign in earnest for the upcoming Assembly battle in which their main adversary will be the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
