Bihar will have assembly elections this year, and before that, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expanded his cabinet. Seven BJP MLAs took the oath as ministers at the Raj Bhavan today. The new ministers are Sanjay Saraogi, Sunil Kumar, Jivesh Mishra, Raju Kumar Singh, Moti Lal Prasad, Vijay Kumar Mandal, and Krishna Kumar Mantu.
Who Took the Oath?
- Sunil Kumar, a doctor by profession, joined BJP in 2013. Earlier, he won elections in 2005 and 2010 on a JD(U) ticket. He is currently the MLA from Bihar Sharif.
- Jivesh Mishra, MLA from Jale, Darbhanga, has been a minister before. From November 2020 to August 2022, he served as the Labour Minister in Nitish’s cabinet.
- Raju Kumar Singh, MLA from Sahebganj, started his political career with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). He is now a BJP MLA and has taken the oath as a minister.
- Moti Lal Prasad, Vijay Kumar Mandal, and Krishna Kumar Mantu have also taken the oath.
Bihar Cabinet Strength
Currently, the Bihar government has 30 ministers, including CM Nitish Kumar and two Deputy CMs. The cabinet can have a maximum of 36 ministers. Before the expansion, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal resigned from his ministerial position, making space for the new ministers.
RJD’s Reaction
RJD leader Upendra Kushwaha said this expansion was expected as some BJP ministerial positions were vacant. He also asked RJD leaders to remain calm instead of worrying about the cabinet changes.
This expansion is seen as a crucial step for BJP and JD(U) to strengthen their political equations ahead of the elections.