Patna: In Bihar’s new nine-member NDA authorities, JD(U)’s ministerial line-up has been predictable. Nonetheless, it’s the BJP that has launched shock faces.
After breaking ties with the Opposition INDIA alliance, Nitish Kumar resigned Sunday and took oath as chief minister for the ninth time. The BJP’s Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha had been sworn in as deputy CMs. Choudhary, who belongs to the opposite backward courses (OBC), is the BJP’s state president and now additionally the chief of the celebration’s Legislative wing, whereas Sinha, former speaker and chief of the opposition, is from the higher caste.
BJP sources stated that each Choudhary and Sinha have butted heads with Nitish prior to now. Choudhary has been extremely crucial of Nitish Kumar and final 12 months even went so far as sporting a turban, reportedly swearing that he would take away it solely after he obtained Nitish eliminated as CM.
“I went to (Home Minister) Amit Shah to ask him for a Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh. He told me to have patience and said he intended to use me for Bihar,” Choudhary advised ThePrint. He took oath Sunday whereas nonetheless sporting the turban.
Choudhary is the son of Kushwaha chief Shakuni Choudhary, one of many founder leaders of erstwhile Samata Social gathering. He has been a minister within the RJD authorities headed by Rabri Devi and former Nitish authorities. After he joined the BJP in 2018, his rise was meteoric. He was made Member of Legislative Council after which the chief of the BJP within the state council. He was made state celebration president final 12 months to woo the Kushwahas, the second largest OBC block in Bihar after the Yadavs
Alternatively, Sinha as Speaker had a spat with the CM over police motion in his constituency Lakhisarai.
“This is an indication that BJP leadership wants to keep Nitish on a tight leash as the two are neither docile like his previous deputies or too friendly like Sushil Kumar Modi was,” stated a senior BJP chief to ThePrint on situation of anonymity.
When BJP-JD(U) relations had been in disaster in 2022 there was little or no then deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad might do to stop the downward slide. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan needed to fly to Patna to fulfill Nitish, making a futile effort to save lots of the alliance. Each Deputy CMs, Prasad and Renu Devi — put in by the BJP after eradicating Sushil Kumar Modi from the publish following the 2020 meeting polls — had been thought of too feeble to deal with Nitish.
The third to be sworn in as BJP minister is previous hand Dr Prem Kumar. An eight-time MLA from Gaya seat, Kumar has been a minister within the earlier authorities. Nonetheless, after 2020 he was dumped together with the previous guards, which included deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and Nand Kishor Yadav. Kumar hails from the Chandravanshi caste which comes below the economically backward courses (EBC) block.
In the meantime, JD(U) has relied on trusted fingers. Aside from Nitish Kumar, others to take oath had been Vijendra Prasad Yadav, who has held the power division for the previous 15 years; Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who held the finance division portfolio within the earlier authorities and has emerged as Nitish’s disaster supervisor and because the one the CM sends in to barter with different events; and Shravan Kumar, minister of rural improvement within the earlier ministry, who can also be from the identical caste and district as Nitish – Kurmi and Nalanda, respectively.
Two others took the full power to 9 — Santosh Manjhi, son of former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi and minister within the earlier ministry till Nitish ousted the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) from the alliance final 12 months; and Impartial MLA Sumit Singh, who has been a minister all through the present Nitish regime.
“We were with the NDA earlier too. In between, we went with some other party, but now we are back with the BJP. People of our party feel that they should go with BJP. Right now, eight people have been sworn in. There will be swearing in of more ministers. Two deputy chief ministers have been named, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. We have taken this decision in the interest of the state,” Nitish Kumar advised the media after taking oath.
Additionally Learn: Nitish takes oath as Bihar CM for ninth time, BJP’s Samrat Chaudhary & Vijay Sinha sworn in as deputies
RJD thanks BJP for ‘taking Nitish’
Following the oath-taking ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nitish in a publish on X.
बिहार में बनी एनडीए सरकार राज्य के विकास और यहां के लोगों की आकांक्षाओं को पूरा करने के लिए कोई कोर-कसर नहीं छोड़ेगी। @NitishKumar जी को मुख्यमंत्री और सम्राट चौधरी जी एवं विजय सिन्हा जी को उप मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेने पर मेरी बहुत-बहुत बधाई।
मुझे विश्वास है कि यह टीम पूरे…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2024
In the meantime, following Nitish’s resignation, RJD MLAs had gone to Rabri Devi’s home. “(RJD chief) Laluji was looking very calm. He told us that what has happened is good and what will happen will be better,” an RJD MLA advised ThePrint on situation of anonymity.
In a video posted on his X account, Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav listed the achievements of the JD(U)-RJD grand alliance authorities, saying, “What had not happened in 17 years happened in 17 months of our government.” He additionally reportedly “thanked” the BJP for “taking Nitish Kumar’s party along”.
काबिल इतने बनिए कि आपको रोकने के किए लोग कोशिश नहीं बल्कि साजिश करें।#Bihar #TejashwiYadav pic.twitter.com/kYs0aIhCDi
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) January 28, 2024
His brother Tej Pratap Yadav, nonetheless, was not as type and referred to as Nitish “Palti Kumar”, whereas sister Rohini Acharya referred to as him “garbage”.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Additionally Learn: Bihar BJP thinks it doesn’t want Nitish Kumar anymore. Ball now in Modi-Shah’s courtroom