Patna: In a high-voltage political show ahead of Bihar’s next governance push, chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday expanded his cabinet with the induction of 32 ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signalling both political consolidation and administrative recalibration within the NDA government.

The swearing-in ceremony at Gandhi Maidan drew top BJP and NDA leaders, including Union home minister Amit Shah, and was marked by the formal political entry of Nishant Kumar, son of former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who took oath as minister for the first time.

The expansion comes months after Nitish Kumar transitioned to national politics, with the BJP assuming a more central role in Bihar’s power structure under Samrat Choudhary’s leadership. Political observers see the move as an attempt to blend continuity with generational transition while sharpening the NDA’s governance narrative in the state.

Prime Minister Modi’s presence at the event was seen as a strong endorsement of the new leadership arrangement in Bihar. During interactions with party leaders and workers, Modi reiterated the Centre’s commitment to accelerating development, infrastructure expansion and welfare delivery in the state.

The newly expanded cabinet reflects a calibrated caste and alliance balance, with representation from BJP, JD(U), LJP(RV), HAM(S) and other NDA constituents. While BJP secured the largest share in the cabinet, JD(U) retained a significant presence, indicating continued power-sharing within the alliance despite the leadership transition.

Nishant Kumar’s induction emerged as the biggest talking point of the day. Though he has largely stayed away from active politics until now, his entry into government is being viewed as a significant moment for JD(U) and Bihar politics alike. He has been assigned the health portfolio, giving him a key administrative responsibility in his first stint in public office.

Senior leaders in the NDA described the expansion as a governance-oriented exercise aimed at strengthening coordination between departments and ensuring faster implementation of development projects. Several new faces alongside experienced leaders were inducted to give the administration a broader social and regional representation.

Chief minister Samrat Choudhary retained crucial portfolios including home and general administration, underlining his central role in steering the government’s political and bureaucratic functioning.

With assembly politics expected to intensify over the coming months, the cabinet expansion is being viewed as both a political messaging exercise and an effort to project administrative stability under the BJP-led NDA government in Bihar.

BI Bureau