With elections looming at the end of the year, Bihar's political fabric is being intricately woven in anticipation. A strategic cabinet expansion by Nitish's government is poised to precede the budget session. At 4 PM today, seven new ministers are expected to join the ranks, all hailing from the BJP quota, emphasizing ethnic balancing in the process.
The BJP is meticulously attempting to harmonize ethnic equations within the state. The new ministerial faces will represent the Rajput, Bhumihar, Kurmi, Kushwaha, Dalit, and Vaishya communities. The finalized names include Sanjay Saraogi from Darbhanga, Sunil Kumar from Bihar Sharif, Jivesh Mishra from Jale, Raju Kumar Singh from Sahebganj, Moti Lal Prasad from Rega, Vijay Kumar Mandal from Sikti, and Krishna Kumar Mantu from Amanor.
Source: aajtak
Sanjay Saraogi, a BJP MLA from Darbhanga, is from the Vaishya community. Krishna Kumar, or Mantu Patel, is a BJP MLA from Amanor and belongs to the Kurmi community. Raju Singh, a BJP MLA from Sahebganj, fought and won the 2020 assembly election on a VIP ticket before joining BJP. He is a member of the Rajput caste.
Source: aajtak
Jivesh Mishra, a BJP MLA from Jale, is from the Bhumihar caste and has previously served as a minister. Vijay Kumar Mandal is a BJP MLA from the Sikti constituency, while Moti Lal Prasad is a BJP MLA from Rega.
Sources also speculated a female MLA from BJP might be sworn in during the cabinet expansion. The name of BJP MLA Kavita Paswan from Kodha was mentioned, although no official confirmation was made.
Source: aajtak
Currently, the number of ministers in Nitish's cabinet was 30. However, today, BJP's minister Dilip Jaiswal resigned, reducing the count to 29, leaving 7 seats vacant. At present, there are 14 ministers from BJP, 13 from JDU, 1 from HAM, and an independent court minister. All seven new ministers will be from the BJP, increasing their count to 21. Dilip Jaiswal is the BJP's state president.
Source: aajtak
The budget session in Bihar will commence on February 28 and conclude on March 28. During this time, the government will present the economic survey and the annual budget for the fiscal year 2025-26.
The cabinet expansion might include seven fresh faces as the NDA seems to be playing a strategic card ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. The new cabinet will reflect ethnic diversity with calculated adjustments. According to sources, Bihar's BJP leadership has finalized a list of new candidates. Following approval from the central leadership, this list will be forwarded to Chief Minister Nitish.
Source: aajtak
No candidate from the JDU quota is expected to be appointed as a minister. BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal has already submitted his resignation to the CM, and an important meeting is underway at Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary's residence.
The NDA government in Bihar includes the BJP, JDU, HAM, and LJP (R) as alliance partners. With Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the BJP's Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha hold the positions of deputy chief ministers. The BJP has 80 MLAs while JDU has 44 in Bihar's legislative assembly. Jitan Ram Manjhi's party HAM (S) boasts four MLAs.
Source: aajtak
What does the Bihar ethnic census report state?
According to the 2023 ethnic census report, Hindus hold the majority in Bihar with 81% of the population. The extremely backward class constitutes 36%, the backward class 27%, SC 19%, ST 1.6%, and the Musahar community 3%.
The report observes that the upper castes have become less prominent in Bihar. The unreserved population stands at 20,291,679, making up 15% of Bihar's total population.
