New Delhi: Nitish Kumar Wednesday inducted seven new ministers, all from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in his last cabinet expansion before the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, in a reciprocation of the BJP’s earlier gesture of accepting him as Bihar CM.
After the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, despite the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) having fewer MLAs, the BJP agreed to Nitish Kumar’s leadership, effectively granting JD(U) the “big brother” role in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar.
With the latest inductions, the BJP now has 21 ministers in the Nitish Kumar-led cabinet, up from the previous 14, surpassing the JD(U)’s representation of 13 ministers. The cabinet has a total strength of 36 ministers. Of the remaining two cabinet ministers, one is from Jitan Ram Majhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and another is an Independent MLA.
This cabinet expansion, which came ahead of the state’s budget session, has filled the BJP’s quota in the Nitish Kumar-led cabinet in line with the BJP’s suggestion to achieve better caste balance and outreach. Before the long-pending expansion, BJP President J.P. Nadda, on Tuesday, met with the Bihar CM for talks.
A BJP leader from Bihar told The Print, “With the BJP quota in the cabinet yet to be filled, the chief minister was waiting for a green signal from the BJP leadership to proceed with the expansion. It got delayed due to ‘kharmas‘ (an inauspicious period in the Hindu calendar) and the Delhi elections. Once the elections concluded, the BJP informed the JD(U) leadership about the need for the expansion.”
“There is no ‘big brother’ or ‘small brother’ here—both partners share a strong rapport,” the BJP leader added. “A day before the expansion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Nitish Kumar as ‘ladla mukhyamantri (favourite CM)’, reflecting the positive working relationship between the BJP and the JD(U) on the ground. The BJP has been making every effort, through the Union Budget and other measures, to support Nitish Kumar, and he has reciprocated by showing magnanimity in this expansion.”
Key focus North Bihar: Makhana board, ministers
In Wednesday’s cabinet expansion, the BJP’s emphasis on the Mithilanchal region of North Bihar was clear. Four of the newly inducted ministers hail from the area.
They are Sanjay Saraogi, who is from the Marwari community in Darbhanga; Jibesh Mishra, who is from the Bhumihar caste—a traditional BJP vote bank—in Darbhanga; Moti Lal Prasad, who is from the Teli caste in Sitamarhi, and Raju Singh, who is from the Rajput caste in Muzaffarpur.
In addition, the Mithilanchal region already has two other representatives in the Nitish Kumar-led cabinet—BJP leaders Kedar Gupta and Hari Sahni.
Considered an NDA stronghold, Mithilanchal has been a key focus for the alliance in recent months, with the announcement of several initiatives.
In February this year, the Union Budget accommodated the establishment of a Makhana (foxnut) centre, the expansion of Darbhanga Airport, the construction of an AIIMS in Darbhanga, and the redevelopment of Sitamarhi, believed to be Sita’s birthplace—all in the Mithilanchal region.
Hari Sahni, a BJP leader, highlighted the party’s focus on the region, saying, “Whether it is the finance minister wearing a sari from this region or the Prime Minister mentioning that he eats makhana daily, the BJP is committed to empowering areas with rich cultural heritage in their journey of development. That is why this region has greater representation. With the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) attempting to make inroads here, the BJP is working to strengthen its stronghold.”
BJP’s social messaging & caste balancing
In the induction of seven BJP ministers, the party has not only focused on regional balancing in its stronghold but also caste representation to strengthen its appeal across communities.
From the Luv-Kush constituency to its traditional core vote banks—such as the Vaishyas, and upper castes, such as Rajputs and Bhumihars—the BJP has strategically addressed caste dynamics in the cabinet inductions.
Inducted from the Marwari community, Sanjay Saraogi won the Darbhanga election in 2020 and remains a popular face.
Another inductee, Sunil Kumar, a BJP MLA from Bihar Sharif, belongs to the Koeri caste, reflecting the party’s push to consolidate support among the Kushwaha community. The move comes after the RJD’s success in the Lok Sabha elections, fielding seven Kushwaha candidates. The BJP earlier elevated Samrat Choudhary as deputy chief minister to make inroads into the Kushwaha constituency.
New cabinet minister Krishna Kumar Mantu belongs to the Kurmi caste, the same as Nitish Kumar, indicating the BJP’s focus on the CM’s traditional Luv-Kush constituency.
Raju Singh, who won the 2020 Sahebganj election on a Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) ticket and later joined the BJP, represents the Rajput caste. His induction came considering the BJP’s setback in Rajput-dominated constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections, last year, when the party lost the Arrah seat to CPI(ML)L and Aurangabad seat to the RJD. A prominent leader, Raju Singh, has business interests abroad.
Moti Lal Prasad from the Vaishya caste replaced Dileep Jaiswal, who, according to the BJP’s ‘one person one post’ rule, had resigned to fulfil the role of the party’s state president.
Another addition is Vijay Mandal from the Kewat caste—a significant community in Bihar. Despite the BJP’s outreach to VIP founder-leader Mukesh Sahni from the Kewat caste, Sahni remains aligned with the RJD. The situation has prompted the BJP to induct Mandal into the cabinet to strengthen its connection with the Kewat community.
Jibesh Mishra, also a former minister, represents the Bhumihar caste, a traditional and influential part of the BJP’s core vote bank, with his induction expected to strengthen the BJP’s hold.
Prem Chand Patel, a BJP spokesperson, told The Print: “The BJP focused on castes with historically low representation, ensuring they receive greater visibility. The expansion was designed to touch every caste and region, reflecting the party’s commitment to inclusive representation.”
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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