Patna/ Nagpur: As a long wait is now over, Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for the fifth time on Friday. Both sons of RJD leader Lalu Prasad — Tej Pratap and Tejaswi also took oath as minister in the Nitish Cabinet.
According to sources, Lalu’s younger son Tejaswi, 26, will be given the Deputy Chief Minister’s chair. The oath-taking ceremony is being held at Gandhi Maidan.
Here are the latest updates:
RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui takes oath as minister in Nitish’s Cabinet.
Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap takes oath as minister.
Lalu’s younger son Tejaswi Yadav takes oath as minister.
Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar Chief Minister for the fifth time. This will be Nitish’s third straight term as CM.
Nitish Kumar reaches Gandhi Maidan.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi reach Gandhi Maidan.
The new Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance cabinet may accommodate 28 ministers and both sons of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad — Tej Pratap and Tejaswi – will be sworn in as ministers on Friday, informed media reports.
The cabinet is likely to accommodate 12 ministers each from the RJD and the Janata Dal (United) and four from the Congress. Based on the constitutional stipulation that the cabinet cannot accommodate members beyond 15% of the 243-seat Bihar assembly, no more than 36 can be accommodated.
Sources said the rest of the ministerial berths are being left in view of possible dissidence by legislators who have been accommodated or left out. As per early indications, the virtual number 2 in the last Nitish Kumar ministry, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who was also the water resources minister, could be elected as the speaker of the assembly. The Congress was interested in this post.
The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committeee chief and MLC, Ashok Choudhary, Madan Mohan Jha, Jalil Mastan and Awadhesh Singh are among those likely for a berth in the new cabinet.
