All important ministries remain with JD(U). Shahnawaz Hussain becomes minister of industry in a state that hardly has any industry
Sami Ahmad | Clarion India
PATNA – Chief Minister Nitish Kumar finally expanded his ministry on Tuesday after 85 days of forming the new government. Among those inducted are two Muslim faces. One is senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Husain while the other one is a turncoat Zaman Khan. He was elected as an MLA on Bahujan Samaj Party ticket from Chainpur seat in Kaimur district. Later, he deserted his party and joined JD(U) as Nitish desperately needed a Muslim face after all the eleven Muslim candidates of JDU got drubbing in Assembly election held in October-November 2020.
Of the 17 ministers inducted today, nine are from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the rest from Nitish’s party. But the BJP, despite being ‘big brother’ in the current government, has been denied all the important portfolios like Home, Personnel, Education, Rural Development, Rural Works, Water Resources which remain with the JD(U)
A Nitish loyalist and an MLA from the majority community, Ashok Chaudhary, was heading the Ministry of Minority Welfare, something uncommon. Now this ministry has been given to Zaman Khan while Chaudhary has been shifted to the Ministry of Building Construction.
But that was not the only uncommon thing in the Nitish-led NDA government 4.0. It took the longest time for the first expansion, full 85 days, while Nitish and his 14 ministers took oath on November 16 after the election result was declared on November 10, 2020. Later, one minister Mewa Lal was forced to resign after charges of graft against him became a major political issue.
Though numerically Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) was reduced to 43 MLAs, BJP had no option but to ask him to lead the government even after getting the second highest number of MLAs after Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, 74 to be precise.
Nitish Kumar has till now balanced BJP well despite being the smaller partner as he first announced that he was not ready to be at the helm of affairs for once more, knowing very well it was BJP who had made a public promise to make him CM even if JD(U) gets less number of seats. But BJP extracted its electoral victory by inducting two deputy chief ministers from RSS background. The BJP also separated Nitish from his trusted lieutenant Sushil Kumar Modi who was the Dy CM with him since 2005 in all the NDA governments.
As the subject of CM was settled, the cabinet expansion became an issue. Nitish Kumar himself declared that it was for the BJP to provide the list and that was the reason for being so late. It was also rumoured that BJP wants to displace Nitish from home department. Nitish showed his anguish by stating that it never took so long to expand the cabinet.
Portfolios are a big indicator as to who calls the shot. Nitish Appears to be in command. It was expected that Shahnawaz Hussain would get a more important portfolio but he has been given the Industry department in a state that hardly has any industry. It is going to be a big challenge for the new minister who has recently been elected as MLC on the seat vacated by Sushil Kumar Modi. Nitish Kumar was reportedly not ready to let Nitish Mishra join his cabinet. Mishra, son of former Bihar CM late Jagannath Mishra, had in the past deserted JD (U). The chief minister succeeded in that. Similarly, the exclusion of BJP’s Sanajy Paswan from the cabinet is being attributed to Nitish Kumar’s will as Sanjay Paswan was very critical of Nitish Kumar government and publicly demanded the new government to be led by someone from the BJP.
Bihar Assembly has 243 MLAs and accordingly by the rule of 15%, Nitish Kumar cabinet can have a total of 35 ministers, while it had 14 till the expansion was not done. The number of ministers is now 31. So, there is still a possibility of four ministers which can be utilized later according to political situation.
