The delay in the anticipated expansion of the Bihar Cabinet has upset State Congress leaders. The party’s State president, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, issued a statement on August 5,that the Congress will get due representation.
The Congress has been demanding two more berths in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Cabinet. The Bihar CM has responded each time that it would happen soon.
During Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Patna on June 23, when the first meeting of Opposition parties was held, Mr. Singh raised this issue, Mr. Kumar replied positively, and Bihar Congress leaders found new reason to hope. Two months on, that hope is dwindling.
“All the talk has taken place and Cabinet expansion will happen soon. Let me say that the Congress party cannot be ignored by anyone. Congress party will get its due representation and share in the Cabinet as well as Boards and Commissions also,” Mr. Singh said, when asked about the continuing delay in expansion.
At present, there are 29 Cabinet Ministers in the Nitish Kumar government. Of them, 14 are Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Ministers, 12 Ministers are from Mr. Kumar’s Janata Dal-United (JD-U), and two are from the Congress party. The State Cabinet can have up to 36 Ministers.
The Left parties have no Minister in the Bihar Cabinet as they are supporting the State government from the outside.
When Mr. Kumar formed the government with the RJD and the Congress, the RJD had 16 Ministers, but two of them — Sudhakar Singh and Kartikeya Singh — resigned.
Recently, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son Santosh Suman of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) resigned, after which Mr. Kumar inducted the JD(U)’s Ratnesh Sada in the Cabinet, raising their number to 12 from the hitherto 11.
Mr. Singh further said that once Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav returned from Delhi, the Cabinet expansion would take place.
“Yesterday also a talk was held on this issue and we urged him to at least announce the date of the Cabinet expansion. Then Tejashwi-ji said that as soon as he returns from Delhi, it [Cabinet expansion] would be done, after talking to the Chief Minister,” Mr. Singh said.
On Friday, Mr. Gandhi called RJD supremo Lalu Yadav Prasad at his daughter Misa Bharti’s residence in Delhi, and met Mr. Tejashwi Yadav as well. Mr. Singh was also present with them.
At present, the Congress’ Murari Prasad Gautam and Afaque Alam are Cabinet Ministers. Mr. Gautam is looking after the Panchayati Raj Department while Mr. Alam is the Minister of the Animal and Fisheries Resources Department.
Meanwhile, BJP Union Minister R.K. Singh, on a visit to Patna, slammed both Mr. Kumar and Mr. Yadav.
“Nitish-ji knows very well that his days are over now, after his party JD(U) has come down to 42 [seats] in the State Assembly. In the next election, his number will further go down. The RJD will not give him more than 40 seats because he is not in a position to make any claim. Nitish-ji’s stature has gone down. Nitish-ji said that Tejashwi will lead the next election, but my question is, will Tejashwi be out of jail because he is charge-sheeted now? There is strong documentary evidence against Tejashwi and it is not possible for him to get bail. They have no future,” Mr. Singh claimed.
