Nitish Kumar inducts 8 new ministers in Bihar cabinet
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sunday expanded his cabinet with the induction of eight new faces -- all from his Janata Dal (United).
Members of allies, the BJP and LJP, were left out from the cabinet expansion. Kumar, after the cabinet expansion, said the BJP was offered a berth in his cabinet, but the saffron party was not too keen.
Seconding Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP's senior leader Sushil Kumar Modi said the party was offered a ministerial berth, but it opted out of it for now.
"Nitish Kumar has offered BJP to fill the vacant ministerial seat. The BJP decided to fill it in future," the deputy chief minister tweeted.
The new ministers - Narendra Narayan Yadav, Shyam Rajak, Ashok Choudhary, Bima Bharti, Sanjay Jha, Ram Sewak Singh, Niraj Kumar and Lakshmeshwar Rai - were administered the oath of office and secrecy at a function at the Raj Bhavan here by Governor Lalji Tandon.
Kumar said the vacancies were majorly created by JD(U) ministers, who resigned from their posts for various reasons.
Tension seems to have been brewing between the alliance partners over allotment of berth in the Narendra Modi cabinet, although Kumar asserted that there was "no unease" between the partners.
The JD(U), he had said, decided against joining the Modi ministry as allies were not given "proportional representation" in the cabinet. Three seats in the Nitish Kumar cabinet fell vacant following the election of JD(U) ministers to the Lok Sabha.
The three ministers who were elected to the Lower House of Parliament included Water Resources Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Disaster Management Minister Dinesh Chandra Yadav and LJP's Bihar unit chief and Animal and Fisheries Resources Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.
One post fell vacant last year after Manju Verma resigned as Social Welfare Minister in the wake of the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.
Among those who attended Sunday's swearing-in ceremony were Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, RJD Bihar unit president Ram Chandra Purbey and several ministers of the Nitish KUmar government.
This is the second time in two years when Nitish Kumar expanded his cabinet.
On July 29, 2017, he has inducted 27 ministers from all three NDA constituents, the JD(U), the BJP and the LJP.
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Hundreds of TVK supporters return disappointed from cancelled swearing in ceremony venue
Chennai (PTI): Hundreds of TVK supporters, fuelled by the hope of seeing their leader Vijay as chief minister, gathered at Nehru Indoor Stadium in the city on Thursday, only to be met with locked gates and a lack of information regarding the scheduled proceedings.
Many supporters, travelling from various parts of the state, near and far, like Arumbakkam and Coimbatore, expressed deep disappointment and confusion upon finding the premises closed and without official communication.
Speaking to PTI Videos, fans and party loyalists described a sense of heartbreak after arriving early to secure a place in line.
Charulatha, a supporter, noted the emotional toll of the situation: "We came with so much joy thinking he would become the chief minister today, but there is nothing here. The gates are closed. It is very painful."
Sai Deepika, her daughter and a student set to enter the 12th grade, shared her excitement for the event: "I was very excited to be here. I have been telling everyone he will win and do good things for the people."
A visibly distressed Gunasundari, a long-time political observer from a family of AIADMK supporters, stated she shifted her loyalty to Vijay: "I publicly say I voted for Vijay. I have a belief that he will help those in need. Seeing the gates closed like this is a shock."
Despite the confusion on the ground, the gathered crowd remained steadfast in their political choice. Several supporters highlighted Vijay’s decision to fund party activities independently as a key reason for their trust.
"He didn't take a single rupee from the people for his flag or the stage. He did it all himself," said an emotional Gunasundari. "Even if they try to shame him or create obstacles, he is the one who will eventually win."
Many attendees cited news reports and social media claims as their reason for arriving early on Thursday morning. Some supporters mentioned they had travelled via public transport and waited for hours under the impression that an official declaration or event was imminent.
"My son told me that declarations were made yesterday and everyone was coming today," Gunasundari added. "I didn't even tell him I was leaving; I just started my journey to see him in person for the first time".
