PATNA: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad on Tuesday announced that the much awaited second round of Cabinet expansion would soon take place after the state leadership consults the top BJP brass.
The expansion was delayed due to the Bochaha bypoll, the MLC elections and the Babu Veer Kunwar Singh’s Vijayotsava, the senior BJP leader said. ‘‘The cabinet expansion will take place soon. The state leaders will consult the central leadership over the issue and take a final call on the matter.”
The previous such exercise took place in February last year in which nine BJP legislators, seven from JDU and an Independent MLA took oath as ministers Currently, some ministers are holding additional charge of more than one department. Prasad himself has the additional charge of animal husbandry and fisheries resources besides finance, commercial taxes and urban development and housing departments.
Social background is likely to remain the prime factor in determining the cabinet composition. Both BJP and JDU may get ministerial berths to lessen the burden of those ministers having multiple portfolios. There is a probability of a member from the fishing community bagging the animal husbandry and fisheries resources department. Mukesh Sahani, the previous minister who was sacked, came from the same community.