Bihar cabinet expansion likely this week, PM may attend swearing-in ceremony at Gandhi Maidan

Patna: After the BJP’s electoral win in the West Bengal assembly elections, attention has now shifted to the much-anticipated cabinet expansion in Bihar, likely to take place at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on May 7 or 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers in CM Samrat Choudhary’s cabinet.Preparations for the event have already begun at Gandhi Maidan, where public entry has currently been restricted. Samrat Choudhary of the BJP was sworn in as CM on April 15, along with two JD(U) ministers—Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav as his deputies — after JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar stepped down from the CM post a day earlier.Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, could not attend the April 15 ceremony due to their engagement in assembly elections in several states. With the BJP leading the govt in Bihar, the upcoming event is expected to be marked with significant political presence and scale.The CM returned from Delhi on Monday after meeting senior BJP leaders, including Amit Shah. Earlier, on May 2, he had met Nitish Kumar in Patna before leaving for the national capital. Sources indicate that discussions focused on finalizing the list of ministers, expected to include around 30 members.Both BJP and JD(U) leadership have been holding continuous deliberations to finalize the cabinet composition. BJP national president Nitin Nabin and JD(U) national executive president Sanjay Kumar Jha also met in Delhi last week.Sources suggest that 30–40% of ministers from the previous Nitish Kumar cabinet may be dropped to make way for younger faces, while ensuring caste and regional balance.As per the likely arrangement, the BJP may retain around 10 ministers and induct a few new faces. JD(U) is also expected to introduce fresh candidates in nearly 30% of its quota. HAM(S) is likely to retain its national president Santosh Kumar Suman, while LJP (RV), led by Chirag Paswan, may continue with its existing ministers.However, uncertainty remains over the future of Deepak Prakash, son of RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, who had earlier served as a minister but is not currently a member of either House.