The new NDA government in Bihar will conduct its first cabinet meeting on Monday. Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha along with other ministers will attend the meeting headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at 11:30 am in Patna.

A decision on the fresh nomination of the Advocate General may be taken up in the first cabinet meeting. Furthermore, approval for calling the upcoming assembly session is expected to be taken up.

Nitish Kumar, in a massive blow to the Opposition-backed INDIA bloc, dumped the Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar on Sunday and rekindled ties with the BJP-led NDA. He first resigned as the Bihar Chief Minister and then took oath as the Chief Minister of the Janata Dal (United)-BJP combine later in the day for a record ninth time. The JD(U) later termed his coming back to the NDA as "back to where I was" and asserted he would remain with the alliance.

Besides Nitish Kumar and the two Deputy Chief Ministers, BJP's Prem Kumar, JD(U) leaders Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Shravan Kumar, and Vijendra Yadav, Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Santosh Kumar Suman, and Independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh sworn in as ministers.

Notably, Nitish Kumar, Samrat Chaudhary, and Santosh Kumar Suman are Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs).

Nitish Kumar told reporters on Sunday that the Bihar cabinet will be expanded in a day or two, and several factors will be kept in mind.

CASTE CONSIDERATIONS IN CABINET EXPANSION

The new Bihar cabinet comprises three upper caste Ministers, including Vijay Choudhary and Vijay Sinha from the Bhumihar community, and Sumit Kumar Singh (Independent) from the Rajput community. Meanwhile, Shravan Kumar, the JD(U) leader, belongs to the Kurmi caste, the same as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Santosh Kumar Suman represents the Mahadalit community.

A recent caste survey in Bihar showed that Kurmis constitute 2.8 per cent of the state's total population.

Source: ANI