Bihar cabinet expansion: 30 MLAs, Deputy CM Tejashwi's brother Tej Pratap take oath
Patna, August 16: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav and four other MLAs were among the nearly 30 MLAs who were sworn in on Tuesday as ministers in Bihar's new cabinet as part of chief minister Nitish Kumar.
Earlier today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached the Raj Bhavan in Patna for the swearing-in ceremony. Ahead of the Cabinet expansion, JDU(U) MLA Leshi Singh on Tuesday confirmed that she will be getting a post in the new cabinet.
Nearly 30 ministers inducted into the cabinet today hail from various parties that are part of Mahagathbandhan or the Grand Alliance, including the Congress.
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The Bihar cabinet can have up to 36 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Some ministerial berths will be kept vacant for future cabinet expansion, sources said.
Nitish Kumar had broken away from the BJP and formed a government with the RJD and other parties earlier this month. The Chief Minister and his deputy - RJD's Tejashwi Yadav - took oath on August 10.
Meanwhile, the new Nitish Kumar led-Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar will go for a floor test on August 24 to prove its majority in the state assembly.
The session was initially under question as Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha refused to quit and prompted the ruling alliance to move a no-confidence motion against Sinha.
In an effective strength of 242 in the Bihar Assembly, the BJP stands at 77, the JDU has 45, Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM(S) has 4, RJD has 79, Congress has 19, CPI(M-L) has 12, CPI has 4, while the AIMIM and Independent have one seat each.
The JDU-RJD-HAM-Congress-CPI(M-L)-CPI grand alliance has a combined strength of 163. The lone Independent MLA has also vowed support to Nitish Kumar, taking its effective strength to 164.
Nitish Kumar was sworn Chief Minister for a record eighth time on Wednesday after he resigned from the post a day earlier and quit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took oath as Deputy Chief Minister.
The decision to hold the floor test on August 24 and make a suitable recommendation for convening state assembly was taken at a cabinet meeting attended by Kumar and Yadav on Wednesday. Sources said that expansion of the cabinet is likely to take place on August 16 and RJD will have more ministers than the Janata Dal-United.
Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance has the support of 164 members in the assembly.
Nitish Kumar broke his alliance with the BJP for the second time in eight years on Tuesday before joining hands with RJD and other parties in the Mahagathbandhan including the Congress and Left parties. The Grand Alliance also has the support of HAM, which has four MLAs in the Assembly.
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-PTC News
