Nitish Kumar's son Nishant to take oath as Bihar Minister tomorrow: Sources

Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is among the 27 ministers likely to take oath as ministers in the new Cabinet led by Samrat Choudhary on Thursday, sources told India Today TV.

In Short

• Nishant Kumar likely to join Bihar Cabinet led by Samrat Choudhary
• 27 ministers, including Nishant Kumar, likely to swear in on Thursday
• PM Modi, senior leaders to attend oath ceremony at Patna's Gandhi Maidan

Nishant Kumar, the son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who joined the JD(U) in March, is among the 27 ministers who may take oath as ministers in the new Cabinet headed by Samrat Choudhary on Thursday, sources told India Today TV. Choudhary became Bihar's first BJP Chief Minister on April 15, after Nitish Kumar quit and went to the Rajya Sabha, and is expanding his Cabinet.

Among the 27 ministers who are likely to swear in, 12 of them, including Nishant Kumar, are from the JD(U). Nishant Kumar's induction into the Bihar Cabinet is being seen as politically significant, signalling a generational shift within the party.

From the JD(U), several senior leaders are likely to be part of the expanded Cabinet, including Shravan Kumar, Ashok Choudhary, Leshi Singh, Madan Sahni, Zama Khan, Sunil Kumar, Sheela Mandal, Ratnesh Sada, Bulo Mandal, Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha, Damodar Rawat and Nishant Kumar. Notably, Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Choudhary have already taken oath as Deputy Chief Ministers.

According to sources, the Cabinet is expected to follow a balanced power-sharing formula among NDA allies. The BJP, the single largest party, may get around 12 berths. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) could get three berths, and smaller allies like Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal may get one each.

From the BJP, names such as Vijay Kumar Sinha, Mangal Pandey, Dilip Jaiswal, Shreyasi Singh, Arun Shankar Prasad, Lakhindra Paswan, Ram Kripal Yadav and others are in discussion for their induction into the Cabinet. Among allies, the LJP (RV) may see Sanjay Kumar and Sanjay Kumar Singh being inducted, while Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM may go ahead with Santosh Suman and Deepak Prakash from the RLJD likely to take oath.

The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to arrive in the city around 11:30 am on Thursday. Home Minister Amit Shah has already reached Patna and is likely to finalise BJP’s list of ministers. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda are also expected to attend the high-profile event.

This marks a sharp contrast from the low-key oath ceremony on April 15, when Choudhary assumed office at Lok Bhawan, as top BJP leaders were busy campaigning in the recent Assembly elections.

With elaborate preparations, heightened security and expectations of a massive crowd at Gandhi Maidan, the NDA appears keen to project strength and stability as it begins its next chapter in Bihar politics.

- Ends