After the successful Opposition meeting in Patna attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, its party leaders in Bihar are hopeful of getting two more ministerial berths in the State Cabinet, their long-pending demand.
A conversation regarding the Cabinet expansion took between Mr. Gandhi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the Opposition meeting on June 23. A video of the conversation is circulating on social media.
In all likelihood, Mr. Kumar will induct two Congressmen in his Cabinet after the next meeting of Opposition leaders in Shimla .
Ever since the Mahagathbandhan – a grand alliance comprising the Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and the Left parties – formed the government in Bihar in August 2022, the Congress has been demanding four Cabinet berths. However, Mr. Kumar allotted only two to the Congress.
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After the Opposition meeting got over in Patna on June 23, Mr. Gandhi asked Mr. Kumar when he was making Congress leaders Ministers. To this, Mr. Kumar asked how many he wanted to be made Ministers. Congress State president Akhilesh Prasad Singh, who was standing next to Mr. Gandhi, then mentioned two berths.
Cabinet composition
At present, the Bihar Cabinet has 29 Ministers – 14 from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) , 12 from Mr. Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and two from the Congress. The Left parties have no representation in the Cabinet as they are supporting the government from outside.
The Congress has 19 MLAs in the 243-member Assembly.
When Mr. Kumar formed the government with the RJD and the Congress, the RJD had 16 Ministers but two of them resigned – Sudhakar Singh and Kartikaya Singh. Recently, Santosh Suman, son of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), resigned, after which Mr. Kumar inducted JD(U)’s Ratnesh Sada in the Cabinet, taking the party’s berths to 12. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), which had been part of the coalition government, withdrew its support recently.
Speaking to The Hindu, Congress State president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, “Now, Rahul Gandhiji has spoken to the Chief Minister, what more we can say about it. It is certain that soon the Congress will be getting two berths. We are hopeful Nitishji will expand the Cabinet after the Shimla meeting. However, you never know, it can happen before the meeting also. It is just a matter of time. Apart from the Congress, even the RJD will be part of the expansion because its two Ministers have resigned.”
At present, Murari Prasad Gautam and Afaque Alam of the Congress are Cabinet Ministers. Mr. Gautam is looking after Panchayat Raj Department whereas Mr. Alam is the Animal and Fish Resources Department Minister.
As per rules, the Cabinet can have a maximum of 36 Ministers.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had said the expansion of the Cabinet is the discretionary power of the Chief Minister and that the Congress would get more berths for sure.
