Ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is preparing to expand his cabinet. Sources suggest that 6 to 7 new faces are likely to be inducted into the cabinet before the upcoming budget session.
Patna: Ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is preparing to expand his cabinet. Sources indicate that 6 to 7 new ministers are likely to be added before the upcoming budget session. The main objectives of this expansion are to achieve administrative balance and establish a caste equation.
Key Aspects of the Cabinet Expansion
* The Bihar cabinet currently has 30 ministers, while the maximum limit is 36.
* The cabinet expansion may include 6 to 7 new ministers.
* New ministers will be allocated portfolios, potentially by redistributing existing portfolios from current ministers.
* Following the ‘one person, one post’ policy, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal may have to resign from his ministerial post.
Which Castes Will Be Represented?
The Nitish government is focusing on caste equations in this expansion. Potential caste representation may include:
* Upper Castes: 2 ministers (one each from Rajput and Bhumihar castes)
* Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs): 2 ministers (one minister from the Teli caste is confirmed)
* Backward Classes (BCs): 1 minister
Which Ministers Might See Portfolio Changes?
* Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha (3 portfolios)
* Santosh Suman (3 portfolios)
* Mangal Pandey, Nitish Mishra, and Prem Kumar (2 portfolios each)
BJP and JDU Distribution?
3-4 new ministers are likely to be from the BJP quota, and 2-3 from the JDU quota. It's noteworthy that, keeping the upcoming elections in mind, the government aims to provide proportionate representation to all major castes. Simultaneously, departmental restructuring will be undertaken to enhance administrative efficiency. Nitish Kumar's strategy is seen as an attempt to strengthen the political equation and appease various sections of society in the context of the upcoming elections.
