Summary of this article
Nishant Kumar is likely to join the Bihar cabinet during Thursday’s expansion.
JD(U) leaders persuaded Nitish Kumar’s son to accept a ministerial role.
Around a dozen leaders may take oath in the Samrat Choudhary-led government.
Nishant Kumar, son of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, may join the Bihar cabinet during Thursday’s cabinet expansion, according to PTI, which cited a source close to both the former chief minister and his son.
The 45-year-old leader, who joined the JD(U) less than two months ago, agreed to take up a ministerial role after persuasion from senior party functionaries, PTI reported on Wednesday.
“Ever since he had joined the party, it has been the wish of cadres that Nishant join the government. He could have been appointed as a deputy chief minister last month, but he was hesitant. Finally, he has agreed,” the source told PTI.
Nishant Kumar, an engineering graduate, entered politics soon after his father decided to step down as chief minister following his election to the Rajya Sabha.
When the new government headed by BJP leader Samrat Choudhary was formed after Nitish Kumar’s resignation, speculation had intensified that the JD(U) chief’s heir apparent would be included in the council of ministers. However, Nishant reportedly declined at the time, saying he wanted to establish himself as a party worker before accepting any post.
According to PTI, senior JD(U) leaders Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav were subsequently inducted as ministers and designated deputy chief ministers.
JD(U) sources said around a dozen party leaders are likely to take oath as ministers on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Nabin. The event is being seen as a delayed celebration of the saffron party heading a government in Bihar for the first time.
Earlier, JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha had said the party would like to have up to 16 ministers in the state cabinet, which can have a maximum strength of 30 in the 243-member Assembly.
Among those likely to be inducted from the JD(U) quota are Ashok Choudhary, Shrawan Kumar and Leshi Singh, all of whom were ministers in the Nitish Kumar government formed after the Assembly elections held in November last year.
Besides the JD(U) and BJP, the cabinet may also include representatives from the LJPRV and HAM, headed by Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi respectively, along with Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM.
(With inputs from PTI)
