Nitish Kumar to expand Cabinet, allocate portfolios before February 10

Chief minister Nitish Kumar will expand his Cabinet and allocate portfolios before the start of the Budget session of the Bihar assembly on February 10, people aware of the matter said.

Kumar was sworn in as the chief minister again on Sunday last after he returned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Three ministers each from Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) and the BJP, one independent and a Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) minister took oath along with Kumar.

A BJP functionary said there was no point in allocating portfolios and then again reallocating them after Cabinet expansion. “The process is on. It will happen in the first week of February,” he said, requesting anonymity.

BJP state president and deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said the modalities were being worked out and denied any hitches over portfolios.

Differences between the JD(U) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over portfolios including education marred the previous government.

A JD(U) leader said the portfolio distribution and Cabinet expansion would happen the day the BJP would like as it was unlikely to change to maintain continuity. “There is no issue and it is settled in the JD(U). The portfolio distribution will be done as per the 2020 formula when the NDA government was formed under Nitish Kumar with two BJP deputy chief ministers.”

Kumar was expected to hold the home portfolio while the BJP could get finance, health, and education. JD(U) left the education portfolio for the first time since 2005 when it was given to RJD in 2022. The portfolio remained a bone of contention between the two parties.

The finance portfolio was given to the JD(U) for the first time in 2022. It remained with the BJP after 2005. “It is the Budget time and both parties will sit together to sort things out. It is not a big issue when the government has been formed,” said the JD(U) leader.

Portfolio distribution, Speaker’s post, and Cabinet expansion have remained thorny issues in Bihar. In the previous government, the Congress was unhappy over the denial of more Cabinet berths.

A second BJP leader said the portfolio distribution and Cabinet expansion would require deft handling and the party leadership would be consulted after a tentative list is ready. “Speaker’s post will go to the BJP, which is the largest party in the alliance,” he added.

RJD leader Shakti Singh Yadav blamed Kumar’s flip-flops for the delay in decision-making. “We have nothing to do with portfolio allocation or Cabinet expansion. But frequent changes have hurt Bihar. Bihar just started working on core issues concerning the youth and masses but it was cut short.”

Social analyst Nawal Kishor Choudhary said the delay in portfolio allocation and Cabinet expansion would not send a positive message. He added it means there are differences over key positions as always.