On Wednesday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his council of ministers by inducting seven new members, all from the BJP, bringing the total strength to 36—the maximum allowed in the 243-member state assembly.
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office to the new ministers in Bihar, where elections are scheduled later this year. The state also has a legislative council.
Among those inducted was Jibesh Kumar, who previously served as a minister until August 2022, when Nitish Kumar abruptly exited the NDA, accusing the BJP of attempting to “break” his party, JD(U).
Other appointees included Sanjay Saraogi, a five-term MLA from Darbhanga, and Sunil Kumar, a five-time legislator from Bihar Sharif in Nalanda. Sunil Kumar had earlier won thrice on a JD(U) ticket before joining the BJP in 2015. Also included was Raju Kumar Singh, the Sahebganj MLA from Muzaffarpur, who had secured his seat in 2020 under the Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) banner. The VIP, initially holding three seats, saw all its MLAs join the BJP two years ago after party leader Mukesh Sahni fell out with the BJP and lost his ministerial post.
Another notable addition was Krishna Kumar Mantu, the MLA from Amnour in Saran district, who recently gained attention for organizing a “Kurmi Chetna Rally” in Patna, aimed at strengthening ties with the influential OBC community to which Nitish Kumar belongs.
The list was rounded off by Vijay Kumar Mandal, MLA from Sikti in Araria, and Moti Lal Prasad, the representative from Riga in Sitamarhi.
The cabinet reshuffle, which followed a key BJP “core group” meeting chaired by the party’s national president, appeared to be a strategic move to solidify electoral support. Jibesh Kumar (Bhumihar) and Raju Kumar Singh (Rajput), both from upper-caste communities that form over 10% of Bihar’s population and have been steadfast BJP supporters, were among those included.
Except for Sunil Kumar, all new ministers hail from the northern region of the Ganges, where the NDA has consistently outperformed the opposition alliance of the RJD, Congress, and Left parties.
Meanwhile, state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, who previously held the revenue and land reforms portfolio, resigned from his cabinet position, citing the party’s “one person, one post” policy.
