Rubbishing reports of fissures between the BJP and JD(U) alliance, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday expanded his Cabinet by including eight JD(U) colleagues. The BJP has a single berth vacant, for which the party is yet to find a candidate. The JD(U) and BJP are running the government in Bihar as alliance partners.
Speaking on the BJP-JD(U) alliance in the state, Kumar said there is no issue with BJP, everything is fine. Speaking about the single berth row, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said, "The proposal that was given was unacceptable to the JDU, therefore, we have decided that in future also JD(U) will never be a part of the NDA-led union cabinet, this is our final decision." Amid reports that all was not well between the JD(U) and BJP, newly inducted minister Shyam Rajak said the NDA alliance is intact. People are just spreading rumours.
The leaders who took oath on Sunday are — Ashok Choudhary, Shyam Rajak, L Prasad, Beema Bharti, Ram Sevak Singh, Sanjay Jha, Neeraj Kumar and Narendra Narayan Yadav.
It may be recalled that on Thursday, Kumar had decided against joining the Narendra Modi-led Central government. "They (BJP) wanted only one person from JD(U) in the cabinet, so it would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that we do not need it (Cabinet berth)," the Bihar CM had said. Kumar, however, attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan and also told media that his party was fully with the NDA.
Commenting on Kumar's decision, RJD leader Subodh Roy said on Sunday there are no permanent friends and enemies in politics.
POLITICAL TIT FOR TAT
They (BJP) wanted only one person from JD(U) in the cabinet, so it would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that we do not need it (Cabinet berth)
— Nitish Kumar, Bihar CM
- Eight JD(U) ministers Narendra Narayan Yadav, Shyam Rajak, Ashok Choudhary, Bima Bharti, Sanjay Jha, Ram Sewak Singh, Niraj Kumar and Lakshmeshwar Rai were administered the oath of office and secrecy at a function at the Raj Bhavan by Governor Lalji Tandon
- The Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre had offered a single berth in the Cabinet to the JD(U), but Kumar had turned down the offer
- This is the second time in two years when Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet.
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