Lobbying begins in Bihar NDA for Cabinet berths, portfolios

Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar held its first Cabinet meeting in Patna on Monday, a day after the JDU chief ditched the grand alliance. A proposal to postpone the budget session scheduled for February 5 was cleared. The chief minister was authorised to decide on a new date.

NDA partners held a series of discussions on portfolio allocation and Cabinet expansion, lobbying for which has begun. Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Manjhi and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party chief Pashupati Kumar Paras held separate meetings with Kumar to discuss Cabinet expansion. Manjhi is seeking one more Cabinet berth for his party.

Sources told ET that portfolio allocation is likely to be on 2020 formula. Kumar is likely to hold the home portfolio while BJP could get finance, health and education portfolios.


BJP leaders Shahnawaz Hussain, Nitin Nabin, Rampreet Paswan, Janak Ram, Shreyashi Singh and JDU leaders Sunil Kumar Singh, Madan Sahni, Lesi Singh, Sheila Mandal, Jayant Raj, Ashok Choudhary and Sanjay Jha are likely to be included in the Cabinet, according to agency reports.

In a related development, BJP submitted a no-confidence motion to assembly secretary against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary. The motion was signed by BJP and JDU legislators. However, RJD sources told ET that Choudhary would resign in a day or two, hinting at a smooth transition in the House. BJP is likely to keep the Speaker's post, according to people in the know.

Earlier in the day, Kumar held a meeting with JDU Lok Sabha MPs and briefed them about the decision to join NDA. The party's prospects in NDA were also discussed.