Patna: Amid the buzz of the Cabinet expansion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 8, the possible names from Bihar have started reaching the national capital. However, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed his ignorance about the JDU's number in the Cabinet expansion whereas Chirag Paswan has threatened to approach the court if Pashupati Kumar Paras is inducted into the Cabinet.
The political corridor in the state has been stirred with talks related to the names who would finally make it into the Union Cabinet. The tussle is only between JDU and BJP because LJP is all set to get one berth. Sources in the JDU said that the party is demanding three cabinet berths and two berths of the state minister. Expressing ignorance on the JDU's number in the expansion of the Union Cabinet, Nitish Kumar stressed that it's the prerogative of the PM to decide.
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“I have no information regarding any formula on Cabinet expansion. RCP Singh is in Delhi and he is authorised to take the discussion ahead. Only RCP Ji is authorised to hold talks on the Cabinet expansion and whatever happened last time is over now. It's the prerogative of the PM to decide and whatever he decides will happen," Nitish said at Patna airport after conducting an aerial survey of flood-affected districts of Bihar.
After the formation of the Narendra Modi government in 2019, BJP has offered one cabinet berth to JDU, but Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had rejected the offer terming it as a symbolic representation. Nitish had stressed upon proportional representation of his party. Two years down the line, a similar situation has arisen in front of JDU and BJP. Meanwhile, JDU president RCP Singh on Tuesday reached Delhi and was in constant touch with BJP leaders to bargain for more cabinet berths.
The JDU insider stressed that the party is legitimate to claim five berths in the Cabinet. JDU sources said that BJP has 17 MPs in Bihar and JDU has 16 MPs. Based on this formula there are five ministers from Bihar in the Union Cabinet and all are from BJP. Why cannot the JDU have five or four ministers in the Union Cabinet? The BJP MPs who are already ministers in the Union Cabinet include Giriaj Singh, Nityanand Rai, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Ravi Shankar Prasad and RK Singh.
The one name which has become the hot cake in Bihar is Pashupati Kumar Paras, who has the support of four LJP MPs. He has already reached Delhi last night and in all likelihood Hajipur MP is set to become a part of the Modi cabinet. Paras was seen in a shop in Patna on Monday purchasing new clothes most probably to wear on the day of the oath-taking ceremony. Not only this, but sources also confirmed that last evening senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah had called Paras following which he left for Delhi.
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Chirag Paswan, the son of late Ram Vilas Paswan, on Tuesday threatened to approach the court if Paras is inducted in Modi's Cabinet. Chirag claimed that as per the constitution of the LJP, he is party president and has suspended all five MPs of the Paras faction. “They are no longer members of LJP as I have suspended all five including my uncle and they can be the only independent MPs in the Lok Sabha. If he would be inducted in the cabinet from the LJP quota, I will approach the court,“ Chirag said while addressing media at his Patna residence.
Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, one of the front runners for the Cabinet expansion is still in Patna and may leave for Delhi late evening depending upon the situation. However, political observers opined that Giriraj Singh is already a Union Minister and BJP cannot afford to make two ministers from the same caste (read Bhumihar) from one state. So at present, a tug of war is going on between BJP and JDU ahead of Cabinet expansion but only time will tell who gets the jackpot.
Possible candidates from Bihar who can make into the expansion of the Union Cabinet.
- Pashupati Kumar Paras: Younger brother of late Dalit icon and former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan is considered the front runner in the Cabinet expansion. Ram Vilas had died when he was serving as a Union Minister in the Modi government and after his death, no representation has been given to the LJP in the Union Cabinet. As a Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla has already recognised Paras faction as the real LJP on the floor of the house, he will be the most suitable candidate to replace Ram Vilas having four other MPs in his support. At present BJP does not have any prominent Dalit face in Bihar and the Paswan community has six per cent of the total vote share. Looking at all the facts, Paras will make it into the Union Cabinet.
- Sushil Kumar Modi: The former deputy Chief Minister of Bihar is an eminent face in the Bihar BJP. After serving the state as Finance Minister for a long time he was dropped from the Bihar Cabinet in the last Assembly election and shifted to Delhi politics as a Rajya Sabha member. He comes from the baniya caste, the core voters of the BJP. He has always played an important role in Bihar politics be it exposing Nitish Kumar or Lalu Prasad, Modi has got the 100 per cent strike-rate as opposition leader in Bihar.
- Sanjay Jaiswal: Bihar BJP state unit president is a friendly face in the state having a good equation with the leaders of Bihar and Centre as well. He enjoys the confidence of several senior BJP leaders at the Centre including BJP president JP Nadda. Three-term MP who presently represents Paschim Champaran parliamentary constituency is the son of Madan Mohan Prasad, an active Sangh Parivar activist and one of the founding members of the BJP.
- Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh: MP from Munger comes from upper caste in Bihar and is very close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Lalan has perfectly executed several plans of Nitish. Be it breaking the LJP or Congress in Bihar, Lalan has played a pivotal role. He may get a reward of getting a Cabinet berth for his plan execution.
- RCP Singh: Member of the upper house and a close confidante of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The former bureaucrat turned politician has so far lived up to the expectation of Nitish. Apart from managing the party, RCP also plays a crucial role in the bureaucratic set-up in the state. Nitish considers him a good asset for the party and most importantly he belongs to the Kurmi caste which Nitish belongs to.
- Ramnath Thakur: Rajya Sabha member and son of late Karpoori Thakur – The EBC icon of Bihar. The Extremely Backward Class (EBC) constitute around 30 per cent of the Bihar total vote share. Most of the political parties in Bihar eye on this lion share which has the power to form the government or break the government. Sending Ramnath Thakur to the Union Cabinet would be a big message for EBC and based on it both BJP and JDU can seek votes of this community in any election.
- Santosh Kumar: MP from Purnia parliamentary seat comes from Kushwaha caste, the second-largest block of OBC after Yadav's. Making him a Cabinet Minister, Nitish can woo the voters of the Kushwaha community as well establish himself in the Seemanchal region. From the first day itself, his name makes sound and one of the front-runners in the Union Cabinet expansion.
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