Bihar Cabinet Expansion 2026: Samrat Choudhary Inducts Nishant Kumar & 31 Ministers in Massive NDA Reset

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday expanded his cabinet in a massive show of NDA strength at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, inducting 32 ministers from alliance partners including the BJP, JDU, LJP (Ram Vilas), and HAM (Secular). The ongoing cabinet expansion also marks the political debut of Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who took oath as a minister for the first time.

The grand swearing-in ceremony is being attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and several senior NDA leaders, turning the event into a powerful political showcase for the ruling alliance. BJP's Samrat Choudhary became the Bihar Chief Minister after Nitish Kumar stepped down. Under the JD(U) quota, Vijay Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav were appointed deputy chief ministers.

In the new cabinet announced today, the BJP secured the largest share with 16 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Janata Dal (United) got 13 ministerial berths, while NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) received two positions.  Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), led by Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, was allotted one ministerial post. Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), headed by former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, also received one berth, with his son Deepak Prakash taking oath as minister. Overall, the new government will function with 16 BJP ministers, while JD(U), including Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Vijendra Prasad Yadav, will have a total of 14 representatives handling key responsibilities in the administration. Shreyasi Singh, Jamui MLA and daughter of former Union Minister Digvijay Singh was also made a minister in Samrat cabinet.

Nishant Kumar Enters Politics After Nitish Kumar Steps Aside

Nishant Kumar’s induction marks a significant shift in Bihar politics. For years, Nitish Kumar had kept his son away from active politics despite repeated demands from JDU workers. However, after stepping down from the chief minister’s post and moving to the Rajya Sabha, Nitish appears to have cleared the path for his son’s entry into public life.

JDU said party workers had long wanted Nishant Kumar to take a leadership role, but he initially preferred working quietly within the organisation before accepting any government responsibility. An engineering graduate, Nishant has largely stayed away from political controversies and public campaigns until now. His oath-taking is being seen as the beginning of a possible generational transition within the JDU.

NDA Sends Strong Political Message in Patna

The cabinet expansion comes months after the NDA’s landslide victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, where the alliance won 202 out of 243 seats, giving it a commanding three-fourths majority in the state. Within the NDA, the BJP secured 89 seats while the JDU won 85. Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) won 19 seats and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM (Secular) secured five.

The presence of nearly the entire top BJP leadership underlines Bihar’s importance in national politics ahead of upcoming electoral battles.

Who Took Oath in the Bihar Cabinet Expansion?

Several senior NDA leaders and regional faces took oath as ministers during the ceremony. Among those sworn in were Vijay Kumar Sinha, Leshi Singh, Ram Kripal Yadav, Nitish Mishra, Ashok Choudhary, Santosh Kumar Suman, Madan Sahni, Shreyasi Singh, Mohd Zama Khan, and Bulo Mandal among others.

Leaders representing different caste groups and regions were included in the new cabinet, reflecting the NDA’s attempt to maintain its broad social coalition in Bihar.

From BJP: The Bharatiya Janata Party saw a strong lineup sworn in, including Ram Kripal Yadav, Kedar Gupta, Nitish Mishra, Mithlesh Tiwari, Rama Nishad, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Dilip Jaiswal, Pramod Chandranvanshi, Lakhwinder Paswan, Sanjay Tiger, Engineer Kumar Shalendra, Nand Kishor Ram, Ramachandra Prasad, Arun Prasad, and Shreyashi Singh.  

From JDU: The Janata Dal (United) brought in Nishant Kumar, Shravan Kumar, Madan Sahni, Lacey Singh, Shweta Gupta, Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha, Damodar Rawat, Bulo Mandal, Sunil Kumar, Sheila Mandal, Ratnesh Sada, Jama Khan, and Ashok Chowdhury.  

From LJP: Representing the Lok Janshakti Party, Sanjay Paswan and Sanjay Singh took the oath.  

From HAM: Santosh Manjhi was sworn in from Hindustani Awam Morcha.  

From RLM: Deepak Prakash joined the council from Rashtriya Lok Morcha.  

Massive Security and Political Build-Up in Patna

Patna witnessed heavy security deployment and large crowds as top NDA leaders arrived for the ceremony at Gandhi Maidan. Prime Minister Modi travelled from the airport to the venue by road, with supporters lining the streets to welcome the leaders.

With Nishant Kumar now formally entering politics and Samrat Choudhary consolidating his leadership, Bihar’s political landscape appears to be entering a new era within the NDA framework.

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