7 BJP leaders sworn in as Bihar ministers

The long expected expansion of the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar cabinet took place on Wednesday with the induction of seven new ministers, all from partner Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

- Arun Kumar

PATNA: The expansion comes well ahead of state assembly elections due towards the end of the year.

With the expansion, the state cabinet now has 36 ministers (the maximum permissible), of which 13 are from Kumar's Janata Dal (United), and 21 from the BJP. The National Democratic Alliance has 131 members in the 243-seat assembly, and the opposition 111. Of the 131, the BJP has 80 members and the JD(U) has 45. The cabinet expansion was planned at short notice after Kumar met with BJP president JP Nadda on Tuesday over the names and in view of the budget session of the Bihar assembly starting February 28.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office to the new ministers at a function at the Raj Bhawan.

While the all-BJP cast of the new ministers raised some eyebrows, a senior JD(U) leader said on condition of anonymity that his party has its "full quota" of ministers in the cabinet already.