JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar who was sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister today for a third straight term, kept the home portfolio with him while Lalu Prasad’s younger son Tejaswi Yadav was named the Deputy Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister will look after home, general administration and information and public relations, highly placed sources in the Raj Bhawan said, adding that the list has been approved by the Governor Ram Nath Kovind. Kumar’s keeping the home portfolio with him assumes significance as law and order is considered to be the biggest challenge for Kumar, who will be heading an alliance government with RJD and Congress in the state.
Tejwasi Yadav has been named the deputy chief minister and will be in charge of road construction and building construction departments, the sources said. His elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who will be number three in the cabinet, will look after health and environment departments.
Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui was given the crucial finance portfolio. The holding of number 2, 3 and 4 positions with important portfolios like finance, road construction and health indicates the dominance of RJD, the largest constituent in the alliance government with 80 seats, in the Cabinet.
JD(U) minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav who held Finance ministry in the outgoing Nitish Kumar cabinet, will look after energy department now. State Congress president Ashok Choudhary has been allotted human resources department, the sources said. His colleague in the ministry Madan Mohan Jha has been alloted revenue portfolio. JD(U)’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh got water resources department while his party colleague Jay Kumar Singh received the industry portfolio.
JD(U) minister Manju Varma has been given charge of social welfare department, the sources added. Besides Kumar, 28 ministers took oath at a function at Gandhi Maidan today.