3 Women, 1 Muslim Minister: Inside Nitish Kumar’s New Bihar Cabinet; Portfolios Out Today

After Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar chief minister for the 10th time at a grand ceremony in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on Thursday, attention has now shifted to the allocation of portfolios in his new cabinet. The announcement is expected on Friday, according to a senior JD(U) leader cited by HT.

A total of 27 members, including Nitish Kumar, took oath as part of the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. BJP leaders Samrat Choudhury and Vijay Kumar Sinha—who were also sworn in—are likely to continue as deputy chief ministers. The ceremony was attended by top dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, and BJP president JP Nadda.

Breakdown of the New Cabinet

Twenty-four ministers took oath in batches, representing a broad political mix: eight from the JD(U), 14 from the BJP, two from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and one each from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

The cabinet includes three women—former minister Leshi Singh (JD(U)) and BJP newcomers Shreyashi Singh and Rama Nishad. JD(U)’s Zama Khan is the lone Muslim minister, retained from Nitish’s previous team.

Nine cabinet positions remain vacant and will be filled later, bringing the strength up to the constitutional limit of 36.

Caste and Community Representation

The new council of ministers includes eight members from upper castes—four Rajputs, two Bhumihars, and one each from Brahmin and Kayasth communities. Among OBC groups, Kushwahas hold three berths, while Kurmi, Vaishya, and Yadav communities have two representatives each. Three positions have gone to Extremely Backward Classes, including two Nishads, while Dalit ministers hold five berths.

In total, 13 of the 27 ministers, including the chief minister, belong to the OBC and EBC categories.

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