Patna: Bihar’s new government has opened its term with a shift in power. For the first time in two decades, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has handed the state’s Home Department to someone else. Long considered the core of his administrative control, the portfolio is now with Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. The development signals a recalibration inside the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that many in Patna had not anticipated.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken charge of the Home Department, the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) has got the Finance and Commercial Taxes portfolios. Several BJP leaders described the reshuffle as a “rebalancing” within the NDA, where the BJP holds 89 seats and the JD(U) has 43.
The JD(U) says there is no need to read too much into this decision as every major step of the government would still be taken under Nitish’s leadership. “This is not an issue at all. Law and order has always been our USP, and it will remain so,” said party’s spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.
BJP leader and minister Dilip Jaiswal voiced confidence and said, “Our priority is the rule of law. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has trusted us, and we will uphold that trust. We will ensure the rule of law prevails.”
But observers are unimpressed with the claims, saying the chief minister no longer holds the same level of authority. Only disputes linked to the Home Department or matters of law and order will now reach to him. Only disagreements between the home secretary and the home minister will be escalated to him, but all decisions will now be taken by Choudhary. Nitish will no longer be in a position to intervene in the affairs of the Home Department.
They explained the structure of Bihar’s administration. The state does not run a police commissioner system. Bihar separates magisterial powers from police powers.This structure creates problems. Police action requires a magistrate in situations of law and order.
There were attempts to change the system. The efforts began during former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure. The efforts continued during Nitish’s earlier terms. But IAS officers resisted the proposal, and the change never happened.
They said this new term of Nitish Kumar will feel markedly different. Earlier, files reached him in two capacities, as home minister and as chief minister. That dual flow will no longer exist. He will now see files only when there is a dispute or a point of disagreement.
Choudhary had faced serious allegations only a few months ago, but the election result altered the political landscape. This is the first time in two decades that Nitish Kumar has not kept the Home Department with himself.”
Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi wrote that every key department has effectively gone to the BJP. “Make no mistake, Bihar’s new cabinet is essentially a BJP cabinet,” he wrote on X, arguing that the BJP now controls all major portfolios and that the chief minister has struck a clear bargain.
“As long as you keep me in the chief minister’s chair, you may take as many important departments as you want,” he wrote.
He also voiced concern for the JD(U). He wrote that once this turns out to be Nitish Kumar’s final term as the chief minister, the JD(U) may not survive as a party. In his view, the alliance in Bihar exists only on paper, while real power rests with the BJP.
Samrat Choudhary now handles policing, law and order and internal security. Several reports say that he will also oversee immigration issues in border regions.
Nitish Kumar kept the Home Department through changing coalitions for 20 years. Even during the Jitan Ram Manjhi government, JD(U) insiders said that Nitish had influence over the department.
Though Mahagathbandhan government placed pressure on him, he held his grip on the Home Department.
Who Got What
The official notification laid out the new assignments. The chief minister handed the Revenue and Land Reforms Department to Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha. He will also continue with the Mining and Geology Department.
The Revenue and Land Reforms portfolio was earlier with BJP minister Sanjay Sarawgi. He is out of the cabinet.
The Finance Department went to senior JD(U) leader Bijendra Prasad Yadav. He also received the Commercial Taxes Department. These two departments were earlier under Samrat Choudhary.
Bijendra Yadav will also hold Energy and Planning and Development. He will now oversee Prohibition, Excise and Registration as well. Ratnesh Sada had that department earlier. He is not part of the new cabinet.
The JD(U) retained several key ministries. Sunil Kumar took charge of Education, Shravan Kumar of Rural Development and Madan Sahani of Social Welfare. Leshi Singh continues with Food and Consumer Protection, while Ashok Choudhary now leads Rural Works. Zama Khan remains in charge of Minority Welfare. Shravan Kumar got the Transport Department, which was earlier under Sheela Mandal. She is not in the new cabinet.
The new Education Minister, Sunil Kumar, also got charge of the Science, Technology and Technical Education. Sumit Kumar Singh left the cabinet after losing from Chakai. That department was earlier under him.
JD(U) leaders Maheshwar Hazari and Jayant Raj Kushwaha did not find a place in the new cabinet. Their earlier departments, Information and Public Relations and Building Construction, went to JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary. He also holds Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs.
The BJP brought familiar and new faces into key roles. Former state BJP president Mangal Pandey returned to the Health and Law departments. Nitin Naveen took charge of the Road Construction and Urban Development and Housing Department. He replaced Jivesh Kumar, who is is not in the new cabinet.
The new government also placed BJP’s new faces in important roles. Party state president Dilip Jaiswal became Industries Minister. He replaced Nitish Mishra, the son of former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.
Source link
[ad_3]
