'Ask Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, Whatever Is Decided Will Be Done': Nitish Kumar On Bihar Cabinet Expansion

Last month, state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh had said that the party is hopeful of getting a greater representation in the Bihar cabinet.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Amid speculations around Bihar cabinet expansion, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said if there is a new alliance, then the parties will decide which side will get how many berths in the state cabinet, news agency ANI reported.

“Ask the Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. If there is a new alliance, they'll talk and decide which side will get how many (cabinet berths). I am waiting. Whatever gets decided will be done,” ANI quoted CM Nithish Kumar as saying.

Ask the Deputy CM. If there is a new alliance, they'll talk & decide which side will get how many (cabinet berths). I am waiting. Whatever gets decided will be done: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar when asked about state cabinet expansion in wake of Congress demanding 2 berths in the state pic.twitter.com/tqtXbfjzGf

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2023

Notably, last month, state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh had said that the party is hopeful of getting a greater representation in the Bihar cabinet.

“The chief minister has told me that he will expand his cabinet after his ongoing Samadhan Yatra is over. He has promised that our party will be given a number of berths that is commensurate with its strength in the assembly,” he said at a press conference held at Sadaqat Ashram, the state Congress headquarters.

It is to be noted that Congress, that has 19 MLAs in the 243-member state assembly, currently has two ministers in the “Mahagathbandhan” Bihar government, which was formed after CM Kumar left the BJP in August last year. Bihar cabinet can have a maximum of 36 berths, five of which are still lying vacant.

However, earlier last week, deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav denied any possibility of cabinet expansion and said the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has never demanded more cabinet berths and there was no discussion on it in the Grand Alliance.

“There is no discussion on Cabinet expansion in the GA. I fail to understand how things start moving around. We have never demanded more cabinet berths. I am not aware if Congress has done so,” Tejashwi had said.