Nitish gives up home portfolio to Samrat, JD(U) gets finance

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday relinquished control of the crucial home portfolio for the first time in 20 years as his deputy and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Samrat Choudhary was assigned the ministry that oversees law and order, a key issue that propelled the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to victory in the recent state polls.

- Subhash Pathak

The announcement of portfolios came a day after Kumar, his two deputies Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were sworn in. Twenty-four other ministers -eight from the Janata Dal (United), 12 from the BJP, two from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and one each from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha - also took oath in batches of six.

Kumar - who earlier held charge of home, general administration, cabinet secretariat, and election in addition to being CMhas retained all but the home portfolio. This included the general administration department, which oversees transfer and posting of IAS officers, including in the home department.

Choudhary emerged as the second-most influential after Kumar with the home berth. Last time, he handled finance and commercial taxes and the panchayati raj departments.

Deputy CM Sinha was given revenue and land reforms along with mines and geology. Last time, he handled agriculture and the mines and geology departments.