As Bihar celebrates Makar Sankranti today, the corridors of power are abuzz with speculation about the expansion of the Nitish Kumar cabinet. Hindus believe that the month that ends with Makar Sankranti is a 'khar maas', meaning a month inauspicious for new beginnings. So, important work is put off until after Makar Sankranti. With the khar maas out of the way, Nitish Kumar is expected to expand his team, inducting new ministers from NDA partners.
Bihar can have a total of 36 ministers. When Nitish Kumar took oath for the 10th time after the NDA's thumping win in the November state election, 26 ministers took the oath with him. This means there is space for nine more ministers in the cabinet.
In the current cabinet, the BJP holds 14 ministerial berths, the JDU nine, and Chirag Paswan's LJP (Ram Vilas) two. Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha hold one berth each.
According to sources in the NDA, six of the nine vacant berths could be claimed by the JDU, and three may go to the BJP. Also, the ministerial berths held by Nitin Nabin have been vacated following his elevation as the BJP's national working president.
The cabinet expansion is likely to see the balancing of caste equations as NDA partners choose ministers with an eye on the caste arithmetic, which plays a huge role in Bihar's political landscape.
The ending of 'khar maas' will also see heightened political activity in Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is scheduled to begin a public outreach march, named Samriddhi Yatra, on January 16. The yatra, which ends on January 24, will pass through east and west Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali.
Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Assembly, has also returned to Patna after a family holiday and is likely to begin a statewide tour in February.
