The political landscape of Bihar is set for a significant update today as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, prepares for its cabinet expansion. A grand ceremony is scheduled to take place at 12:10 PM at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, where a total of 27 MLAs will be sworn in as ministers. This expansion follows the initial formation of the government on April 15, when Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary took the oath alongside two Deputy Chief Ministers, Vijay Chaudhary and Vijendra Yadav.
BJP and JDU Ministerial Allocations
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has completed its quota of 16 members (15 ministers plus the CM). Notable first-time ministers from the BJP include Nandkishore Ram, Mithilesh Tiwari, Engineer Shailendra Kumar, and Ramchandra Prasad.
The Janata Dal (United) or JDU will have a total of 15 ministers (13 ministers plus 2 Deputy CMs), with one ministerial berth still vacant. First-time ministers from the JDU quota include Nishant Kumar, Shweta Gupta, and Bulo Mandal.
Representation of Allied Parties and Cabinet Composition
Other NDA allies are also represented in this expansion. From LJP (Ram Vilas), Sanjay Paswan and Sanjay Singh will take the oath. Santosh Suman from HAM and Deepak Prakash from RLM are also included in the list. Reports suggest that today's swearing-in will include 12 from BJP, 11 from JDU, 2 from LJP(R), and one each from HAM and RLM. According to the legislative strength, Bihar can have a maximum of 36 ministers including the CM; however, 6 seats will currently remain vacant.
PM Modi's Mega Roadshow and VVIP Presence
The ceremony will be attended by high-profile leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Prior to the oath-taking, PM Modi will lead a mega roadshow from the airport to Gandhi Maidan, while union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Patna on Wednesday evening, where he met with NDA leaders and visited the Panchrupi Hanuman Temple in the Rajbansi Nagar area. BJP National President Nitin Navin, who previously served as a state minister, is also in Patna for the event.