Nishant Kumar likely to join Bihar cabinet in major NDA expansion today

For the first time since 2015, a Bihar cabinet is being formed without Nitish Kumar at the centre of power — a shift that has intensified political speculation over the composition of BJP chief minister Samrat Choudhary’s new team.

Amid growing buzz ahead of Thursday’s cabinet expansion, senior JD(U) leaders indicated that Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, may finally be ready to step into public life and could even take oath as a minister.

“Nishant, who had so far stayed away from any formal political or governmental role despite persistent speculation, has now conveyed his willingness to take a more active role,” a senior JD(U) leader said on condition of anonymity.

The leader added that discussions are underway within the party to create an informal “core team” around Nishant Kumar, with a few younger JD(U) legislators likely to be inducted into the cabinet to support a possible generational transition within the party.

Among the younger JD(U) names under consideration are Rahul Ranjan, Navin Kumar Mandal, Chetan Anand, Komal Singh, Rituraj Kumar, Atirek Kumar, Aditya Kumar and Abhishek Anand.

“The final names will become clear only after the swearing-in ceremony,” the leader said.

From the BJP quota, senior leaders including Mangal Pandey, Neeraj Kumar Singh Babloo, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Shreyasi Singh and Ram Kripal Yadav are being discussed for cabinet berths.

The JD(U), meanwhile, appears inclined to retain experienced faces. Leaders such as Shravan Kumar, Ashok Choudhary and Jama Khan are expected to continue in ministerial roles. Leasi Singh, Sheila Mandal, Sunil Kumar, Madan Sahni and Ratnesh Sada are also likely to be retained.

The NDA’s smaller allies are also expected to secure representation in the expanded cabinet. From Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), the names of Sanjay Paswan and former minister Sanjay Singh are under consideration.

A senior BJP leader said Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha is likely to retain Santosh Suman in the cabinet, while Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha is expected to get one ministerial berth.

Manjhi, once a close Nitish Kumar ally, briefly served as Bihar chief minister between 2014 and 2015.

“The cabinet expansion has triggered intense lobbying within the NDA, and broad agreement has largely been reached between the BJP, JD(U) and allies over berth allocation,” another JD(U) leader said. “But the final list still awaits approval from the BJP’s central leadership.”

Party insiders said the BJP, buoyed by recent electoral victories in states such as West Bengal and Assam, is weighing a mix of experienced leaders and younger faces as part of its evolving Bihar strategy.

Political analysts say caste equations will remain central to the final composition.

Patna-based analyst Sanjay Upadhyay said Nishant Kumar’s possible entry into government signals the JD(U)’s preparation for a post-Nitish era.

“It could consolidate the Kurmi-Koiri (Luv-Kush) vote base within the NDA,” he said. “Samrat Choudhary is now the dominant Koiri leader, while Nishant Kumar could emerge as the new face for Kurmis.”

Upadhyay added that Upendra Kushwaha’s bargaining power appears limited, with the Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader likely to push either for his wife Snehlata Kushwaha or another close associate instead of his son, who is not a member of either House.