Nitish Kumar’s “clean image” and “good governance” came under the scanner on Tuesday when the new Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar was expanded for the first time after 31 ministers were sworn in at the Raj Bhavan.
Some of the new ministers, with a shady past, may take the sheen off Nitish’s unblemished image amid the countdown for 2024 LS polls.
Expectedly, the RJD, the single largest party in the Assembly with 79 MLAs, got a lion’s share with 16 ministerial berths, including Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap, while Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) had to remain content with 11 ministers.
Of the remaining four, two ministers were sworn in from the Congress, while one from Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM, which too shifted its allegiance towards Nitish last week. One Independent was also made a minister, thereby taking the tally of ministers to 33, including the CM.
As per law, Bihar can have 36 ministers in the 243-member Assembly. Sources said some berths have been deliberately kept vacant which would be filled up during the next Cabinet expansion.
Contrary to the media reports, Tejashwi Yadav, who was sworn in as deputy chief minister along with Chief Minister Nitish, was neither allocated Home portfolio nor Finance. The RJD leader, who is facing corruption cases along with his father and mother, has been allocated Health, Road Construction and Urban Development. While his elder brother Tej Pratap has been made Bihar’s Forest and Environment Minister.
Though Nitish kept Home portfolio with him and allocated Finance to his key aide and JD (U) legislator Vijay Choudhary, eyebrows were raised on four ministers – three from the RJD and one from the JD (U) – who has a shady past.
“Nitish Kumar will have to do a lot of explaining as to why he made ministers like Surendra Yadav, Ramanand Yadav and Lalit Yadav (all from the RJD) who are facing several criminal charges,” said senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
Questions have also been raised behind the compulsion of making JD (U) legislator from Dhamdaha, Lesi Singh, a minister again. Her husband Butan Singh, a dreaded ganglord of Purnia, was gunned down in a Purnia court in 2000.
Meanwhile, the Left parties stayed away from being inducted into the council of ministers. “Our main aim is to fight for the rights of the marginalised section. Our motto would be diluted if we join the government,” said CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.
(The writer is a Patna-based journalist)
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