Bihar cabinet expansion likely soon: Nitish

Decks have been cleared for expansion of recently formed cabinet in Bihar and same would take place in near future, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said here on Monday.He, however, debunked speculations in a section of media during course of day that it was likely to take place on Tuesday.
 

"t tomorrow......you do t worry we would duly inform people in vance. I cant say wher it will take place after two days or ten days. But, it will be sooner rar than later", Kumar told reporters who approached him with frenetic queries about cabinet expansion.

state cabinet can have up to 36 members and at present, it has only 13, besides Chief Minister.
Kumar h been maintaining that same did t take place for want of a "prastaav" (proposal) from BJP which has largest number of MLAs in ruling NDA.
 

NDA sources say that re h been a tussle between Kumar and BJP over issue of representation of his JD(U) and saffron party.

While BJP is said to have been demanding a lions share, Kumar is said to have been keen on a formula in which saffron party and JD(U) h equal representation.It has been contention of JD(U), which h been senior coalition partner in state until assembly elections, that it has t lost its support base as evident from its vote share and that steep decline in its tally was to be blamed on rebellion from LJP heed by Chirag Paswan whom BJP failed to rein in.

On Sunday evening, state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal, accompanied by Deputy CMs Tarkishore Pras and Renu Devi both from his party h called on Kumar at his official residence where differences over issue appear to have been ironed out. formula agreed upon by two parties was, however, t kwn.

NDA in Bihar has altoger four constituents BJP, JD(U), former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and Bollywood set designer turned politician Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). At present, BJP has seven members in cabinet, including two Deputy CMs while JD(U) has only four, besides Chief Minister.

Manjhis' son has been accommodated from HAM while Sahni has been me a minister despite having lost his seat in assembly polls. BJP has given Sahni legislative council seat vacated by former state minister Bid Narayan Jha, who has w become an MLA.

Sahni filed his mination for council seat during day. Speculations are rife in political circles that BJP national spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, who has been fielded by party in by-poll on legislative council seat vacated by former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, could get a berth in state cabinet.

When a question in this regard was posed to Hussain by media persons, he refused to make any direct comment and merely said as a disciplined soldier of BJP he has always been obeying party's order.

(IM CREDITS:PTI)