Nitish Kumar gives up the key home portfolio after 20 years as Bihar announces major cabinet reshuffle with new responsibilities for BJP, JD(U) and allies.

Patna:  Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar gave up control of the vital home portfolio for the first time in 20 years. Samrat Choudhary, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and his deputy, was given the ministry responsible for law and order, a crucial issue that helped the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) win the most recent state elections.

A day after Kumar and his two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deputies, Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, were sworn in, the portfolios were announced. In batches of six, 24 additional ministers also took the oath of office, including 8 from the Janata Dal (United), 12 from the BJP, 2 from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and 1 from each of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

In addition to becoming CM, Kumar previously oversaw the home, general administration, cabinet secretariat, and elections. He has kept all but the home portfolio. Among them was the general administration division, which is in charge of IAS officials’ postings and transfers, including within the home division.

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With the home berth, Choudhary became the second most prominent person behind Kumar. He was in charge of the panchayati raj, finance, and commercial taxation the last time.

In addition to mines and geology, Deputy Chief Minister Sinha received revenue and land reforms. The last time, he was in charge of the geology, mines, and agriculture departments.

Bijendra Prasad Yadav kept the energy, planning and development, excise and prohibition, finance, and commercial taxes that Samrat Choudhary had previously held among the JD(U).

Water resources, parliamentary affairs, information and public relations, and building construction sectors were all given to Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. He was previously in charge of the departments of legislative affairs and water resources.

Shrawon Kumar was given more responsibility for transportation while keeping rural development. Leshi Singh, one of the three female ministers, received food and consumer protection, while Ashok Chaudhary kept his rural jobs. In contrast, Madan Sahni kept the social welfare portfolio.

The minority welfare department was given to Mohd Zama Khan, the only Muslim member of the cabinet.

Mangal Pandey, one of the BJP members, was given the extra responsibility of law and justice in addition to keeping his health portfolio. Dilip Jaiswal, the head of the state BJP, received industries. Prior to the cabinet upheaval in the previous government in February of this year, he oversaw the revenue and land reforms department.

Ram Kripal Yadav received agriculture, while Nitin Nabin kept road building and urban development.

Narayan Prasad (BJP) was given responsibility for disaster management, Surendra Mehta for animal husbandry and fisheries, and Arun Shankar Prasad for tourism, art, culture, and youth affairs. Pramod Kumar forest environment and cooperative departments, Lakhendra Kumar Raushan scheduled castes and scheduled tribes welfare, Sanjay Singh Tiger labor resources, Rama Nishad backward and extremely backward classes welfare, and Shreyasi Singh sports and information technology.

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Minor irrigation was given to Santosh Kumar Suman of the HAM(S). The panchayati raj department was assigned to Deepak Prakash of the RLM. Sunil Kumar of JD(U) added scientific and technology portfolios while keeping his education.

Party colleague Sanjay Kumar Singh was assigned to the public health engineering department (PHED), while Sanjay Kumar of the LJP (RV) was assigned to the sugarcane industries.

All ministers are “committed to the objective of chief minister Nitish Kumar,” according to Manish Pandey of the BJP. “All major decisions are taken at the level of CM, so it is immaterial who is holding which department if all ministers are working as a team,” stated Arvind Nishad of JD(U).

The portfolio allocation was criticized by the opposition. “The BJP’s plan has been successful. RJD spokeswoman Ejaj Ahmed stated, “We have been saying that Nitish Kumar would only be the face.”