<p>Patna: This may sound strange, but this is arguably for the first time in the annals of Bihar’s history that a Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers will rule the State for the next couple of weeks. </p><p>Not one leader from any of the NDA allies has been sworn in as a minister in the State which can have a maximum of 36 ministers in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.</p>.Samrat Choudhary sworn in as BJP’s first Chief Minister of Bihar.<p>According to sources in the ruling combine, the Cabinet, the first to be headed by a BJP Chief Minister, will be expanded after May 4, when the results of the ongoing Assembly elections are declared.</p><p>The logic behind this delay is equally baffling. “Most of the leaders, including the BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other party office-bearers are busy campaigning for the saffron camp in the neighbouring West Bengal. Once the elections are over and the results declared by May 4, the Bihar Cabinet will be expanded,” said the senior NDA leader, privy to the talks about the Cabinet formation.</p><p>Wishing not to be identified, the source said, “Most likely, 70 per cent of the Nitish Kumar-headed team will be retained. While the rest 30 per cent members could be accommodated keeping in mind the experience, caste combination and regional balance.”</p><p>It is pertinent to note that Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who was sworn in as first BJP CM on April 15, is presently holding 29 portfolios, including the Home, which he was holding as Deputy CM in the previous Nitish Kumar regime.</p><p>Besides him, the two Deputy CMs, both from the JD (U), are holding the remaining portfolios. While Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Choudhary is heading the Ministry of Water Resources, Parliamentary Affairs, Education and Rural Development, the other Deputy CM Bijendra Yadav is handling the portfolio of Finance, Energy, Social Welfare, Planning & Development.</p>
<p>Patna: This may sound strange, but this is arguably for the first time in the annals of Bihar’s history that a Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers will rule the State for the next couple of weeks. </p><p>Not one leader from any of the NDA allies has been sworn in as a minister in the State which can have a maximum of 36 ministers in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.</p>.Samrat Choudhary sworn in as BJP’s first Chief Minister of Bihar.<p>According to sources in the ruling combine, the Cabinet, the first to be headed by a BJP Chief Minister, will be expanded after May 4, when the results of the ongoing Assembly elections are declared.</p><p>The logic behind this delay is equally baffling. “Most of the leaders, including the BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other party office-bearers are busy campaigning for the saffron camp in the neighbouring West Bengal. Once the elections are over and the results declared by May 4, the Bihar Cabinet will be expanded,” said the senior NDA leader, privy to the talks about the Cabinet formation.</p><p>Wishing not to be identified, the source said, “Most likely, 70 per cent of the Nitish Kumar-headed team will be retained. While the rest 30 per cent members could be accommodated keeping in mind the experience, caste combination and regional balance.”</p><p>It is pertinent to note that Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who was sworn in as first BJP CM on April 15, is presently holding 29 portfolios, including the Home, which he was holding as Deputy CM in the previous Nitish Kumar regime.</p><p>Besides him, the two Deputy CMs, both from the JD (U), are holding the remaining portfolios. While Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Choudhary is heading the Ministry of Water Resources, Parliamentary Affairs, Education and Rural Development, the other Deputy CM Bijendra Yadav is handling the portfolio of Finance, Energy, Social Welfare, Planning & Development.</p>