Discussion on the names of potential ministers heated up with clear statements from Nitish and Chirag.
– Photo : Amar Ujala Digital
Expansion
Prime Minister Narendra Modi resigned from his post recommending the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha and now there is talk of the new cabinet being sworn in on Saturday, June 8 or Tuesday, June 12. The term of the 17th Lok Sabha was ending on June 16, before that the Prime Minister has resigned due to the results of the Lok Sabha elections. Now as the acting Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will draw the outline of the next cabinet. The meeting of the National Democratic Alliance has been held on Tuesday. Further meetings are to be held in parts. With these meetings, it will be decided that only one or two ministers should be kept from the BJP quota in Bihar, because the posts of five to six ministers are almost fixed by combining the strong and necessary constituent parties – Janata Dal United, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) with Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
Last time Nitish kept asking for two posts
The BJP also remembers the confrontation with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also not have forgotten it. The result of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would have reminded them of those things even more. Last time, the BJP was in a position to act arbitrarily and did not agree to JDU’s insistence. Then JDU had demanded two ministerial posts on the basis of 16 MPs. Then Nitish Kumar wanted to make Munger MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh and RCP Singh ministers at the Center to give them equal opportunity. Things did not work out at that time. Later RCP became the national president of JDU and then a minister at the Center. After this, his distance from JDU started increasing and a time came when he had to look for a way out of the party. Here, after the 2020 Bihar Assembly election results, there was resentment within Nitish Kumar, due to which he went to the Grand Alliance again. Now in January he has returned to NDA and in the Lok Sabha election results declared on June 4, he is not only the president of the party which has given equal number of MPs as BJP, but is also important for the majority figures of the Central Government.
Chirag Paswan kept waiting
Due to the Bihar Assembly Election 2020 episode, Chirag Paswan could not enter the Union Cabinet despite the death of his father Ram Vilas Paswan. Seeing Nitish Kumar’s displeasure, BJP was not giving him this opportunity. After Nitish Kumar’s return to NDA on January 28, his distance with Chirag Paswan ended. During this election, Chirag Paswan fielded Shambhavi Chaudhary, daughter of Nitish Kumar’s close minister Dr. Ashok Chaudhary, from Samastipur and she has also won. The ground report of all 40 Lok Sabha seats clearly shows that the NDA’s victory was more due to the name of Prime Minister Modi than the candidate, yet Chirag Paswan has worked very hard and he has also kept his ego aside to bridge the gap with CM Nitish Kumar. Due to his 100 percent strike rate, he is seeking another ministerial post along with him.
Three names are already being considered as decided
Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan and former Bihar minister and JDU Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha – these three names are being considered confirmed by the constituent parties. JDU wants three ministerial posts, but there is also a discussion in the political corridors that NDA can also adopt the formula of one sect, two birds by giving a chance to Minister Ashok Chaudhary’s daughter and LJP MP Shambhavi Chaudhary. The way Prime Minister Modi honored Shambhavi as the youngest candidate and daughter from the election platform, this thing is getting strength. If something like this happens, then Shambhavi will become the second face in LJP’s account apart from Chirag. In this situation, JDU will be convinced for two ministerial posts. The first name is Sanjay Jha’s confirmed name, then the second name is of JDU’s former president Lallan Singh or Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s trusted MP Kaushalendra Kumar from his home district – this decision will be interesting. In this way, if there are five to six MPs from the allied parties, then BJP can think of bringing one or two Bihari MPs from its quota to make do. RK Singh was a minister and has lost from Ara this time. If Shambhavi becomes a minister, then the name of Nityanand Rai, who was elected MP from Ujiarpur in Samastipur, may get stuck. In such a situation, Giriraj Singh’s name can be considered certain.
