Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar is likely to expand his cabinet soon with new ministers. The cabinet secretariat is expected to issue a notification about portfolio distribution on Monday evening, news agency PTI reported.
The Bihar chief minister today chaired a meeting of his new cabinet to distribute portfolios. After the cabinet meeting, leaders of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents, however, remained tight-lipped about the distribution of portfolios.
Besides Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Prem Kumar, JD(U) leaders Shravan Kumar, Vijendra Yadav, and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Hindustan Awam Morcha’s Santosh Kumar Suman and Independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh were sworn in as ministers on Sunday.
Earlier today, BJP leaders indicated that the cabinet will be further expanded in a day or two to accommodate legislators belonging to other castes, minority groups and women.
Those expected to be included in the Nitish Kumar cabinet 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, PTI reported citing a JD(U) leader.
Separately, the BJP has submitted a notice of no-confidence motion to the assembly secretary against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary of RJD.
BJP leaders, in the notice, expressed a lack of confidence in the present speaker as a new government has assumed power. The motion was signed by legislators of the BJP as well as the JD(U).
Lobbying has started for the post of Assembly Speaker. The BJP is expected to keep the post, PTI reported quoting reliable sources. Names of senior BJP leaders Nand Kishore Yadav and Amrendra Pratap Singh are doing the rounds for the same.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar has asserted that there is no question of now leaving the NDA.
“I was with them (NDA) 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,” the Bihar chief minister said.
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Published: 29 Jan 2024, 05:13 PM IST