Bihar Political Shift: Nitish Kumar Hands Home Portfolio To BJP For First Time Since 2005

Patna: In a major shift in the balance of power, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar relinquished the crucial home portfolio to BJP for the first time since he came to power in 2005.

A day after taking the oath as Bihar chief minister for a record 10th time, Nitish on Friday distributed portfolios to members of his council of ministers.

Deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary has been given the home portfolio, giving ample indications how BJP has started asserting itself after emerging as the dominant force, securing its highest-ever assembly seats.

Nitish`s JD (U), however, secured the finance department. In the previous government, the finance department was with Samrat Choudhary. Bijendra Prasad Yadav, who won on JD (U) ticket from Supaul for his ninth term, has been given the finance department.

Although Nitish is always credited for improving law and order situation in Bihar significantly in stark contrast to the preceding "Jungle Raj" era under the Lalu-Rabri regime, his government faced criticism even from his ally, union minister and LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan, at fag end of his previous term as chief minister over growing crime graph.

BJP getting its home department assumes special significance in view of the fact that the party had repeatedly targeted RJD and Congress on the issue of illegal infiltration in the state’s Muslim dominated Seemanchal region.

Only 18 out of the 26 ministers who were sworn in on Thursday, have been allocated portfolios. Deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has been given revenue and land reforms department. He will also look after the mines and geology department. Mangal Pandey will head both the health and law departments.

Dilip Jaiswal, who is also state BJP president, has been appointed industries minister. In the previous government, the Industries department was held by BJP leader Nitish Mishra, who has not been inducted into the cabinet this time. Nitin Nabin has been assigned road construction as well as urban development and housing department.

Ram Kripal Yadav will serve as agriculture minister and Sanjay Tiger has been taken charge of the labour resources department. Arun Shankar Prasad has been given the tourism department, in addition to art, culture and youth affairs.

Surendra Mehta will handle animal husbandry and fisheries resources department, and Narayan Prasad will head disaster management department. Rama Nishad will oversee the backward and extremely backward class welfare department.

Lakhendra Kumar Raushan will look after the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes department whereas Shreyasi Singh will manage information technology and sports departments. Pramod Kumar has been allotted cooperatives, environment, forest and climate change department.

Santosh Kumar Suman has been assigned minor water resources while Deepak Prkash will look after the Panchayati Raj department. “The other departments, which have so far not been distributed, will remain with the chief minister,” a senior official said.

Md Zaman Khan has been given the minority welfare department while Sanjay Kumar will handle the sugarcane department. Sanjay Kumar Singh will look after the public health and engineering department.

BJP has 14 ministers in the cabinet, while JD (U) has nine, including chief minister. LJP (RV) got two ministerial berths and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha got one seat each.