Nitish cabinet expansion: Bhupendra Yadav’s Patna visit raises hopes

Amid continuing speculation over the delay in expansion of Nitish Kumar cabinet in Bihar, BJP Bihar in charge Bhupendra Yadav’s presence in Patna has once again raised hopes that it may happen soon along with the finalisation of nominations to the Bihar Legislative Council.

Though there is no confusion over the number of ministries each National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituent will get, the cabinet expansion is likely to onboard some new faces to maintain the social equation; and they will require to be inducted in the Upper House, said leaders aware of the matter.

The NDA nominations to Bihar Legislative Council’s 12 seats, vacant since May 2020, were earlier stuck due to the lack of agreement on seat-distribution among the three allies– the BJP, JD-U and the LJP. Now, the new government has got four constituents and the equations have changed.

According to a JD-U leader, since the council vacancies were created long before the 2020 Assembly elections, it should be filled on the basis of the numerical strength in the last assembly; otherwise, it should be divided equally.

A senior BJP leader, however, said that the matter would be amicably resolved soon, as it was in the interest of all. “May be, by the month-end, cabinet expansion will happen. The council nominations will also take place soon,” said a senior leader.

“Everything will happen at an appropriate time. There is no confusion,” said Bihar BJP president, Dr Sanjay Jaiswal.

Bihar deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad Singh was in Delhi last week, but he said he was there due to some personal matters. “Regarding the cabinet expansion and council nominations, senior leaders are looking into it. There is no issue,” he added.

BJP has already shown its intention to give space to the new team. BJP national spokesman and former union minister Shahnawaz Hussain’s maiden entry into the council has also sparked off speculations about his induction in the Nitish cabinet. A few other new names are also doing the rounds.

In JD-U, Ashok Choudhary, who holds the portfolio of several ministries, is not a member of any House. Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief and animal husbandry minister Mukesh Sahni has got to the Council on the BJP seat from Benipatti by replacing Vinod Narayan Jha, who won the assembly elections held last year.