Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to expand his Cabinet very soon, sources said. The issue was discussed at a meeting chaired by the CM. His two Deputies, Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were also present there.
Kumar took oath as Bihar CM for the ninth time after quitting the Mahagathbandhan on January 28. After which, portfolios were allocated on February 3. Presently, there are nine ministers including Kumar in the cabinet. Among which, three ministers are from the BJP, four from JD(U), one from Hindustani Awam Morcha and one independent candidate.
In view of the strength of Bihar assembly, there can be 35 ministers and thus there is scope for appointing 26 additional ministers. Sources said some ministerial posts will be kept vacant at the moment.
Currently, Kumar holds the departments of home, cabinet secretary, election, vigilance and others. His deputy and state BJP chief Samrat Choudhary has finance, health, commercial tax, fisheries, law, urban development and housing. Another deputy CM, Vijay Kumar Singh got agriculture, road construction, mining and geology, sugarcane, art culture and youth affairs, public health engineering and minor water resources.
According to sources, Kumar will include some old and new faces in the expanded cabinet. Among whom, Maheshwar Hazari, who resigned from the post of Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, may become a minister. Apart from Kumar, the ministers from JD(U) are Bijendra Yadav, Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Shravan Kumar. Names of JD(U) leaders that are doing the rounds for ministerial positions are Madan Sahni, Lacey Singh and Jama Khan.
On the other hand, Mangal Pandey from BJP is likely to be included in the cabinet as he has recently been made a member of the Legislative Council. Nitin Naveen may also get a ministerial position. BJP may give opportunity to many new faces this time. Apart from the two Deputy CMs Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, the sole minister from BJP is Prem Kumar.
It is being speculated that BJP and JDU will solve the regional equations along with caste and social equations through the cabinet expansion before the Lok Sabha polls.
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