Opposition alleges caste imbalance, promotion of dynastic politics

Patna: Opposition parties on Tuesday attacked the BJP-led govt over the expansion of chief minister Samrat Choudhary’s cabinet, alleging promotion of dynastic politics, inadequate representation for women and caste imbalance in the new council of ministers.

The criticism came on the day the cabinet expansion took place at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said the presence of leaders of NDA constituents on the stage was being wrongly projected as participation in their capacity as national presidents of their respective parties. He alleged they were present because their sons were taking oath as ministers.

Gagan said Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant and Upendra Kushwaha’s son Deepak Prakash took oath as ministers despite not being members of either House of the legislature. He also referred to Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son Santosh Kumar Suman taking oath as a minister. Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand against dynastic politics, Gagan said the ceremony exposed the contradiction within the NDA.

The RJD also alleged women and some core social groups of the BJP had not received adequate representation in the expanded cabinet. Gagan said only five women had been included, while 33% representation would have meant at least 14 women ministers.

He claimed the Kayastha community had not been given any representation in the cabinet, while the Brahmin community had received only two berths despite its electoral support to the BJP and its allies. He alleged communities with a smaller vote share had been given greater representation.

The RJD spokesperson also claimed Nitish appeared reluctant to let go of the chief minister’s post. Referring to the swearing-in ceremony, he said Nitish was repeatedly trying to sit on the chief minister’s chair on the stage, suggesting he was yet to reconcile with stepping down from the post.

Congress spokesperson Rakesh Rathorre also targeted the cabinet expansion, saying it reflected dynastic politics. He said two “nepo kids”, who were not members of either House, had taken oath despite having no political experience, in an apparent reference to Nishant and Deepak Prakash.

CPI(ML) state secretary Kunal said the BJP was using the cabinet expansion to appropriate the social base of the JD(U). He alleged that after politically weakening the JD(U), the BJP was now trying to capture its vote bank.

Kunal said the BJP was using Bihar as a “laboratory of fascism” and was not serious about addressing key issues facing the state. He said unemployment, poverty and migration continued to remain major concerns and had not been addressed by the govt.
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