New Delhi: New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that the announcement on the exapnsion of the cabinet and the seat-share deal of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal United (JDU)for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections will be done soon.
Taking to reporters Nitish Kumar said, “Everything will be done soon… we will inform about everything.” Kumar’s statement came as he along with 10 other candidates for the Bihar Legislative Council election were declared elected unopposed to the state Legislative Council.
#WATCH Patna: On seat sharing in NDA and Bihar cabinet expansion, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says, “Everything will be done soon… we will inform about everything …” pic.twitter.com/FlAaREPBXg
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2024
According to constitutional provisions, Bihar can have a maximum of 36 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Currently, the state Cabinet has a total of nine ministers, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Among them, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha are Deputy Chief Ministers. Apart from these, Dr Prem Kumar of BJP, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Shravan Kumar (all three of JDU), Santosh Kumar Suman of HAM and Independent Sumit Kumar Singh also took oath as ministers.
On January 28, 2024, Nitish Kumar assumed office as the Chief Minister of Bihar, securing the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His appointment followed his prior resignation, which led to the dissolution of the state government. Nitish Kumar’s departure from the Mahagathbandhan government, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), signaled the end of the coalition.
Citing internal discord and the failure to deliver on promises as primary factors, Nitish Kumar severed ties with the coalition. The JD(U) leader specifically criticized the RJD, emphasizing, “I had no choice but to dissolve the alliance.”
Following the formation of an alliance with the BJP, two deputy Chief Ministers, Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary, were appointed to key positions.