Bihar cabinet expansion: 7 BJP leaders take oath in Nitish Kumar's government (WATCH)

Seven new ministers have been inducted into the Bihar cabinet ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, signaling a strategic political move. The reshuffle aims to strengthen governance and boost the ruling coalition’s prospects as the state gears up for the crucial polls.

The Bihar cabinet reshuffle comes just two days before the Bihar Budget Session begins on Friday.

The newly inducted ministers in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet include Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Sunil Kumar (Biharsharif), Jibesh Kumar (Jale), Rahu Kumar Singh (Sahebganj), Moti Lal Prasad (Riga), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikti), and Krishan Kumar Mantoo (Amnour).

With this expansion, the Bihar cabinet now has 30 members—15 from the BJP, 13 from JD(U), one from Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and an Independent. However, six ministerial positions remain vacant.

According to sources, the expansion follows a meeting between Union Minister JP Nadda and Nitish Kumar, finalizing decisions that had been pending due to earlier delays. Reports suggest that the process took place only after receiving approval from the BJP’s central leadership on the list of nominees submitted by the state government.

Currently, several BJP ministers in Bihar oversee multiple departments, highlighting the need for this reshuffle. Meanwhile, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal resigned from his role as Revenue Minister earlier in the day, adding to the political developments surrounding the expansion.