Jitan Ram Manjhi likely to induct 12 ministers in Bihar Cabinet tomorrow

PATNA: Bihar's new Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is likely to induct at least 10 to 12 ministers in the state Cabinet, JD(U) sources said.

Five defectors from other parties hold bright chances to be part of Manjhi's Cabinet, they said ruling out induction of any member of the Congress or the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which had voted in favour of JD(U) government during the trust vote.

RJD defectors Samrat Chaudhary, Javed Iqbal Ansari, Ramlakhan Ram Raman, Vijay Kumar Mishra and Rana Gangeshwar Singh who left the BJP, are expected to be inducted in the Cabinet, they said.

Sources said that an experienced JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh may make it to the Cabinet. Lalan, a close aide of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, lost Lok Sabha election from Munger, was nominated to the Legislative Council last week. The state Cabinet, which has a total strength of 38 ministers, currently has 18 members including the CM, and that amounts to 17 vacancies at the moment.

Principal Secretary (Bihar Governor and Cabinet Coordination) Brajesh Mehrotra confirmed that new ministers will be administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor DY Patil in a ceremony at the Raj Bhawan tomorrow. Kumar, party's state president Vashistha Narayan Singh will be present at the ceremony, JD(U) sources said.