JD(U) set to join union cabinet, Nitish silent on numbers

Amid indications of an imminent reshuffle of the Union cabinet, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday did not rule out the possibility of his party Janata Dal (United) joining the central government, but parried questions on the number of berths, saying party president R C P Singh was the person authorised to speak on the matter

Amid indications of an imminent reshuffle of the Union cabinet, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday did not rule out the possibility of his party Janata Dal (United) joining the central government, but parried questions on the number of berths, saying party president R C P Singh was the person authorised to speak on the matter.

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“I have no knowledge about any formula but our party’s national president has the authorisation for this,” Kumar told reporters in Patna.

Asked about the numbers of ministers to be inducted from JD (U) quota, Kumar said with a smile, “I have no idea about how many numbers are being discussed. Whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants will happen.”

RCP Singh, who left for Delhi from Patna on Tuesday, told news agency ANI, “Whatever our leader has said is true. You will see soon.”

Sources in Bihar said four ministers could be inducted from Bihar — two are from JD (U), one from LJP faction led by Pashupati Paras, and one from the BJP.

A top JD (U) leader said the party wanted to have four ministers. “BJP has 17 Lok Sabha MPs in Bihar and five ministers at the Centre. But JD (U) has 16 MPs and not a single minister. We have asked for four ministerial posts, two of them of cabinet ranks and rest as ministers of state,” he said.

In 2019, JD (U) had refused to join union cabinet, demanding proportional representation. “What happened at that time is over. I was the party president at that time,” Kumar said, dropping cleat hints of JD(U) joining the union cabinet this time.

Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats, of which BJP won 17, JD(U) 16, LJP six and Congress one in the 2019 parliamentary polls.

Names of JD(U) doing the rounds for a berth in union cabinet were R C P Singh and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh.

“Party’s national president (RCP Singh) will take the final decision (on who will be made ministers). All I can say right now is that we are going to be involved (in the proposed expansion of the Union Cabinet),” JD(U)’s Bihar president Umesh Kushwaha said.

Meanwhile, LJP leader Pashupati Paras left for New Delhi after reportedly receiving a call from Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday evening.