Bihar cabinet expansion likely today, seven new faces from BJP may be inducted

Talking to media persons, Jaiswal said that he was going to resign from the post of revenue and land reforms department minister.

Bihar Chief Minister and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar. (File Photo | PTI)

PATNA: Bihar cabinet is set to be expanded with induction of seven new faces from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sources claimed on Wednesday.

Present strength of state cabinet is 30 and six new ministers may be inducted in the 243-member assembly. The development comes after BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal announced to resign as minister for revenue and land reforms department. Jaiswal was holding post of state BJP as well as minister in Nitish Kumar cabinet.

Talking to media persons, Jaiswal said that he was going to resign from the post of revenue and land reforms department minister. “One person, one post’ is principle on which BJP works, he clarified.

His resignation from post of revenue minister gave rise to speculation over expansion of cabinet. He thanked the party’s central leadership for shouldering responsibility of party’s state unit. “I am thankful to the central leadership for giving me party’s state unit,” he added.

In response to a query, he said that cabinet expansion is prerogative of the chief minister. “When he wants to expand his cabinet is prerogative of CM,” Jaiswal said.

Sources in BJP said that five new faces, including Tar Kishore Prasad, Sanjay Saraogi, Raju Yadav and Awadhesh Patel are expected to be inducted as ministers. One MLA from JD(U) may be sworn-in as minister, sources added.

“The decision about induction of a minister from JD(U) quota is to be taken by CM Nitish himself,” a senior leader of JD(U) said.

Dilip Jaiswal is likely to meet CM Nitish to hand over his resignation. Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary has already reached 1 Anne Marg residence of CM. The cabinet expansion will take place two days before commencement of budget session of Bihar legislature.

On Tuesday, BJP national president and union minister J P Nadda called on the chief minister at his residence.

Sources said that Bihar's BJP in-charge Vinod Tawde is scheduled to leave for New Delhi today with the list of new ministers to be sworn-in. Several ministers, including deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, Mangal Pandey and Nitish Mishra are holding more than one department. The decision to expand cabinet assumed significance as assembly elections are due in October-November this year.