For the first time since 2015, the Bihar government is taking shape without Nitish Kumar at the helm – a shift that has intensified speculation about the makeup of BJP Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary’s team.
According to a senior Janata Dal (United) leader, Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar has finally decided to become part of the government and is likely to take oath during the expansion of the Cabinet on Thursday.
“Nishant, who has so far avoided taking any formal political or government role despite growing speculation about his future, recently expressed his willingness to play a more active role. Discussions are also underway about creating an informal ‘core team’ around him within the Cabinet structure, with the possibility of promoting one or two young lawmakers as ministers to support the next generation of the party’s leadership transition, this person, who requested anonymity, added, should he become involved in party activities.”
Within the share of JD(U) and BJP
Among the younger JD(U) faces discussed were Rahul Ranjan, Naveen Kumar Mandal, Chetan Anand, Komal Singh, Rituraj Kumar, Atirik Kumar, Aditya Kumar and Abhishek Anand.
“The final names will become clear only after the swearing-in ceremony takes place on Thursday,” the JD(U) leader said.
Among the names being discussed from the BJP quota are senior leaders Mangal Pandey, Neeraj Kumar Singh Babloo, Vijay Kumar Sinha Shreyasi Singh and Ram Kripal Yadav.
The JD(U) seems to be leaning towards continuity and administrative experience. Leaders like Shravan Kumar, Ashok Chaudhary and Jama Khan are likely to retain ministerial posts. Lisi Singh, Sheela Mandal, Sunil Kumar, Madan Sahni and Ratnesh Sada are also expected to recur in the government.
Smaller Gathering allies will also appear in the expansion. From Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), the names of Sanjay Paswan and former minister Sanjay Singh are among the names being discussed.
Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha is likely to retain Santosh Soman in the government, while Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha will get one ministerial berth, a senior BJP leader said. Manjhi, a former Nitish loyalist, had a short stint as chief minister between May 2014 and February 2015.
“The expected expansion of the Cabinet has led to intense pressure within the NDA and a broad agreement has been reached between the BJP, the JD(U) and younger allies on the allocation of ministerial posts. However, the final list is still awaiting approval by the BJP central leadership. Encouraged by its recent electoral success in states like West Bengal and Assam, the BJP is considering a mix of experienced leaders and younger faces to redefine Bihar,” the party insiders said. Another JD(U) As with all exercises in Bihar, the expansion is also likely to balance the caste arithmetic.
Patna-based political analyst Sanjay Upadhyay said Nishant Kumar’s entry into the government is the clearest sign of the JD(U)’s preparations for a post-Nich political era. “This will strengthen the NDA’s Kurmi-Koiri (Lov-Kush) vote base, as Samrat is now the undisputed leader of the Kurmi (Kushwaha) and Nishant is the new Kurmi-Kushwaha crown. Upendra Kushwaha does not seem to have much negotiating power, so at most he will lobby for his wife Snehlata Kushwaha instead of his son Deepak Prakash, who is still not a member of either house. Kushwaha is also trying to get A seat in the union cabinet for himself, but with limited influence in the state does not seem likely.”
