14 new faces in Bihar cabinet

At least 14 new ministers, from the Bihar Assembly as well as the council, were on Monday administered oath by Governor D Y Patil and inducted into the state’s Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Janata Dal (United) government.

Science and Technology Minister Gautam Singh was asked to quit after it was revealed in a party review meet that he had worked against a JD (U) nominee during polls.

Among those inducted into the Manjhi Cabinet were Lallan Singh, with whom the former chief minister had a volatile friend-foe relationship, and a turncoat Samrat Choudhary, who deserted the RJD along with Javed Ansari and Ram Lakhan Ram Raman. Ansari and Raman, too, were made ministers.