Bihar Cabinet Expansion: 7 BJP MLAs Take Oath As Ministers

Patna: Seven MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party were inducted as ministers in the Bihar government on Wednesday as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar went for cabinet expansion ahead of the ensuing assembly elections in the state. 

BJP MLAs Jibesh Kumar, Raju Kumar Singh, Dr Sunil Kumar, Motilal Prasad and Krishna Kumar Mantoo,  Vijay Kumar Mandal, and Sanjay Saraogi were sworn-in as ministers. 

After taking oath as Bihar minister, BJP's Sanjay Saraogi said that the NDA is targeting 225 seats in the 243-seat Assembly in the elections. 

"The Chief Minister had expressed his faith in me, and I will meet the expectations. Our aim is to get over 225 seats, and under the leadership of the CM, we will achieve it," said Sanjay Sarogi. 

At a ceremony held in the Raj Bhavan here, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office to the new inductees who raised the strength of the Cabinet to 36.

7 BJP MLAs Take Oath As Ministers in Nitish Cabinet

Rashtriya Lok Morcha president Upendra Kushwaha said that cabinet expansion has no relation with the upcoming polls in the state and it was a pre-decided move. 

"It was decided to happen. Today, it happened. No need to connect it with the elections," he said. 

Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said that the state will benefit from the experience of these 7 newly inducted ministers. 

"Those who have been made ministers today have a long experience, and both the government and the public will benefit from it," Jaiswal said. 

Earlier in the day, Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal resigned from the Cabinet. 

Bihar is set to go for Assembly polls later this year.