'NDA is intact, people spreading rumours', says newly inducted minister in Nitish Kumar government

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his Council of Ministers on Sunday, with the inclusion of eight new Ministers from the Janata Dal (United).

Ashok Chaudhary, Shyam Rajak, Laxmeshwar Prasad, Bhima Bharati, Ram Sevak Singh, Sanjay Jha, Neeraj Kumar and Narendra Narayan Yadav were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lalji Tandon at Rajbhavan.

Speaking on BJP-JD(U) alliance after the latter party did not get more than one cabinet birth in the NDA government, the newly inducted JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak said, "National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is intact. People are merely spreading rumours".

Echoing similar sentiment, another JD (U) leader Neeraj Kumar who also took an oath today, had said, "JDU will never leave NDA."

"Ministry formation is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. I have performed all the responsibility given to me by my party. I am glad that Nitish Kumar chose me," Neeraj Kumar added. 

Former Bihar unit Congress chief Ashok Chaudhary, who was inducted in the cabinet today, also instated that NDA coalition is intact.

The JDU on May 30 refused to be part of the NDA government after only one cabinet birth was allotted to them. Nitish Kumar had said that they don't want a cabinet birth just for symbolic representation in the Modi government.

Mentioning that JDU did mention any specific number for cabinet berths in NDA, Nitish Kumar said that being offered only one cabinet berth was not a big issue. The alliance between both the parties is intact and they were together.