In a significant move, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a leader of the Janata Dal (United), is gearing up to expand his cabinet with the induction of new ministers. The cabinet secretariat is expected to release a notification on Monday evening regarding the distribution of portfolios, according to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Kumar, who chaired a meeting of his new cabinet today, was joined by Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, along with BJP’s Prem Kumar, JD(U) leaders Shravan Kumar, Vijendra Yadav, and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. Additionally, ministers sworn in on Sunday include Hindustan Awam Morcha’s Santosh Kumar Suman and Independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh.
Despite the cabinet meeting, leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) remained tight-lipped about the specific allocation of portfolios. However, BJP leaders hinted at a forthcoming expansion within the next day or two to accommodate representatives from various castes, minority groups, and women.
Notable names expected to be included in the cabinet, as reported by PTI citing a JD(U) leader, include BJP leaders Shahnawaz Hussain, Nitin Nabin, Rampreet Paswan, Janak Ram, Shreyashi Singh, and JD(U) leaders Sunil Kumar Singh, Madan Sahni, Lesi Singh, Sheila Mandal, Jayant Raj, Ashok Choudhary, and Sanjay Jha.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a notice of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The motion, signed by BJP and JD(U) legislators, expresses a lack of confidence in the current speaker, citing the assumption of power by a new government. Lobbying has begun for the post of Assembly Speaker, with names like Nand Kishore Yadav and Amrendra Pratap Singh from the BJP being considered, as per reliable sources.
Addressing speculations, Nitish Kumar emphasized his commitment to the NDA, stating, “I was with them earlier, too. We went on different paths, but now we are together and will remain so. I came back to where I was (NDA), and now there is no question of going anywhere else.”
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