A-Z Formula: Nitish Goes Beyond Muslim-Yadav Equation With His New Bihar Cabinet

Besides Muslims and Yadavs, MLAs from all sections have found a spot in Bihar's new Cabinet.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar leaves after the swearing-in ceremony of Bihar Cabinet Ministers at Raj Bhavan, in Patna, on Tuesday, 16 August.

(Photo: PTI)

Over 30 ministers were inducted into Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's new Cabinet on Tuesday, 16 August, echoing Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Muslim-Yadav formula, with the additional inclusion of legislators from all sections of the society.

There are altogether seven Yadav legislators who have found a place in the Cabinet – six from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), including the two sons of Lalu Prasad, and the seventh – Bijendra Yadav of the Janata Dal (United).

The Yadavs featured in the Cabinet are – Surendra Prasad Yadav (RJD), Lalit Yadav (RJD), Chandrashekhar (RJD), Ramanand Yadav (RJD), Jitendra Kumar Rai (RJD), and Bijendra Yadav (JDU), besides Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

The forming of the Mahagathbandhan government was expected to also bring together the RJD's Muslim-Yadav base, JD(U)'s support among Kurmis, MBCs and Mahadalits and the pockets of influence of Congress and CPI-ML, making it a formidable alliance.

Here's how Nitish Kumar has gone beyond the Muslim-Yadav formula.

Other Sections

Although a pro-OBC bias was expected in the alliance dominated by the RJD and JD(U), both owing their rise to the Mandal agitation, members of the upper castes also found a place.

Two Bhumihar ministers – Kartikeya Singh (RJD) and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (JDU), three Rajputs – Leshi Singh (JDU), Sumit Kumar Singh (Independent), and Sudhakar Singh (RJD) and one Bhramin representative – Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU) also featured in the Cabinet.

The CM’s close aide, Shravan Kumar, who belongs to the Kurmi caste, also took oath on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, three of the ministers are women – Sheela Kumari, Leshi Singh (both JDU), and Anita Devi (RJD).

There are five Muslims as well – Zama Khan (JDU), Mohd Afaque Alam (Congress), Mohd Shamim, Mohd Israil Mansuri, and Shahnawaz Alam from RJD.

Ministers from the Scheduled Castes (SC) include five Dalits – Ashok Choudhary (JDU), Kumar Sarvajeet, Surendra Ram (RJD), Murari Gautam (Congress), and Santosh Kumar Suman (HAM) have been included in the new Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the sizeable number of Muslims and Yadavs, apparently, led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesman Sanjay Mayukh to allege that “this is not a Cabinet headed by Nitish Kumar. It bears the imprint of Tejashwi Yadav. We will expose the inherent contradictions of this opportunistic alliance.”

A week ago, Nitish Kumar had snapped ties with the BJP and formed a new coalition government with the RJD and others.

Hailing the new Cabinet, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, said:

"This is the government of poor people in Bihar. We will work together to fulfill our promises. Since the new government has been formed, there are discussions about employment and development... We have people from all castes, including backwards, minorities and Dalits."

The leaders who took oath on Tuesday include:

JD(U)

• Ashok Choudhary

• Shravan Kumar

• Leshi Singh

• Sanjay Jha

• Madan Sahni

• Sheela Kumari

• Mohd Zama Khan

• Jayant Raj

RJD

• Surendra Prasad Yadav

• Ramanand Yadav

• Lalit Yadav

• Kumar Saravjit

• Chandra Shekhar

• Samir Kumar Mahaseth

• Anita Devi

• Sudhakar Singh

• Jitendra Kumar Rai

• Mohammad Israil Mansuri

• Master Kartik

• Shahnawaz Alam

• Shamim Ahmad

• Akhtarul Islam Sahin

• Bhai Virendra

Congress

• Afaque Alam

• Murari Prasad Gautam

HAM:

• Santosh Suman Manjhi

Independent:

• Sumit Kumar Singh