Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary expanded his cabinet today. In a grand ceremony held at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain administered the oath of office and secrecy to thirty-two appointed ministers. The cabinet now comprises fifteen ministers from the BJP quota, thirteen from the JD(U), two from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and one each from the Hindustani Awam Morcha and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

 

The ministers took their oaths first in groups of five, and subsequently in groups of six. Prominent inductees included Nishant Kumar, the son of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who stepped down as chief minister last month to enter the Rajya Sabha. The JD(U) is represented by a total of 15 ministers, 13 of whom took the oath at the Gandhi Maidan today. 

 

Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav had taken oath in April along with Samrat Choudhary and were designated as deputy chief ministers.

 

The BJP, which is the single largest party in the 243-member assembly with 89 MLAs, has 15 ministers, who took oath today. 

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and J.P. Nadda-among several other members of the Union Cabinet-were present at the oath-taking ceremony. BJP National President Nitin Naveen and JD(U) National President Nitish Kumar, along with several other senior leaders of the NDA, were present on the main dais. Meanwhile, a massive crowd of leaders and workers from the NDA alliance parties had gathered at Gandhi Maidan for the occasion.