Bihar CM meets Nitish Kumar again, fuels cabinet expansion buzz

After the NDA government secured a vote of confidence in the Bihar Assembly on Friday, political activity in the state has intensified, suggesting an impending cabinet expansion.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary met former Chief Minister and JD(U) President Nitish Kumar on Saturday. Union Minister and JD(U) MP Lalan Singh was also present at the meeting. This was the Chief Minister’s second meeting with Nitish Kumar within a week.

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Immediately after returning from Delhi on Wednesday, Choudhary paid a courtesy visit to the former Chief Minister. During his maiden visit to Delhi after becoming the first BJP Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Choudhary held key meetings with the party’s top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Nitin Nabin.

The details of the discussions between Samrat Choudhary and Nitish Kumar have not been made public. Both meetings have been described as courtesy calls. However, they are being viewed as politically significant, especially in the backdrop of the much-anticipated cabinet expansion.

Bihar BJP state president Sanjay Saraoagi also told the media on Saturday that the cabinet will be expanded very soon. He indicated that the new government is working on a long-term plan for Bihar’s development and that the state will be taken forward with a strong team.

He said the government is currently being run by the Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers, but soon leaders of the NDA will meet to finalise the names of new ministers. He expressed confidence that the expansion will prove to be a turning point for Bihar’s future.

Speculation over the cabinet expansion intensified further on Saturday after Congress MLC Sameer Singh met Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Notably, Congress MLA Surendra Kushwaha had also met the Chief Minister earlier, signalling possible new political moves in the state.

Following the change in power in Bihar, Congress MLAs and MLCs have been increasingly engaging with the Chief Minister, a development being seen as part of a broader political realignment.

During the recent Rajya Sabha elections, some Congress MLAs and one RJD MLA did not participate in voting, leading to the defeat of the RJD candidate. This raised questions about opposition unity. The continued meetings between Congress leaders and the Chief Minister are now being seen as indicative of emerging political alignments.