PM Modi and Amit Shah attend swearing-in as allies secure representation
New Delhi: In the first major Cabinet expansion in Bihar, 32 ministers, including Nishant Kumar, were sworn in on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Governor Syed Ata Hasnain administered the oath at a ceremony attended by senior leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.
The expansion included members from all constituents of the NDA. The BJP, the largest party in the 243-member Assembly, has 15 ministers, while the JD(U) is represented by 15 ministers, including those sworn in earlier.
Leaders from alliance partners, including the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha, were also inducted.
Sanjay Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar Paswan, both from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, are back as ministers, and so are Santosh Kumar Suman and Deepak Prakash, sons of Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, respectively.
In a message, Modi congratulated the ministers and expressed confidence that their efforts would contribute to the state’s development. He also thanked people in Patna for their response during his visit.
The expansion marks a reconstitution of the Council of Ministers following recent political developments in the state.
