As Bihar marks Makar Sankranti on Tuesday, political activity in the state has begun to gather momentum. The festival is traditionally believed to end khar maas, a period considered inauspicious for new beginnings in Hindu belief. With this “dark month” now over, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to move ahead with a long-awaited expansion of his cabinet.
Sources within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) indicate that the cabinet reshuffle and expansion could take place in the coming days. Bihar is allowed a maximum of 36 ministers. When Nitish Kumar took oath for the 10th time after the NDA’s decisive victory in the November assembly elections, he was joined by 26 ministers, leaving nine vacancies.
At present, the BJP holds 14 ministerial berths in the cabinet, while Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) has nine. Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has two ministers, and one berth each is held by Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha. The elevation of BJP leader Nitin Nabin as the party’s national working president has also freed up ministerial positions.
According to NDA insiders, the JD(U) may claim up to six of the vacant berths, with the remaining three likely to go to the BJP. The selection of new ministers is expected to carefully balance caste equations, a crucial factor in Bihar’s complex political landscape.
The end of khar maas is also set to trigger broader political engagement. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will begin his statewide public outreach programme, the Samriddhi Yatra, on January 16. The yatra will continue till January 24 and cover districts including East and West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Saran.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has returned to Patna and is expected to launch his own statewide tour next month, setting the stage for an active political season in Bihar.
