Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar may expand his Cabinet soon with new Ministers from allies Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress taking oath. Soon after returning from Rajgir on July 19, Mr. Kumar met RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his younger son and Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. The meeting lasted over 30 minutes triggering speculation over Cabinet expansion.
Earlier on June 16, JD(U) MLA Ratnesh Sada had taken oath as new Minister after Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi had resigned from the Cabinet. Mr. Manjhi with four MLAs and one MLC has now switched his loyalty to the BJP-led NDA.
The Bihar Cabinet currently has 33-members against the prescribed limit of 36. During the first meeting of non-BJP Opposition parties in Patna on June 23, top Congress leaders had enquired about Cabinet expansion with the CM and State Congress president Akhilesh Singh had intervened saying the party wanted two more berths. A video of this conversation had gone viral on social media.
