Bihar is bracing for a cabinet expansion expected to occur shortly after January 14, 2026, following the end of the inauspicious Kharmas period. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government is set to welcome new members, increasing the total number of ministers to 35.
Currently, the Bihar cabinet has vacancies for 10 ministerial positions, which has spurred significant political activity. The anticipated distribution of these posts suggests that the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] is likely to induct six new ministers, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will add three. According to sources, new faces are expected to be given a chance. With the constitutional limit for Bihar's cabinet set at 36 ministers including the Chief Minister, this expansion will bring the council closer to its full capacity.
The decision to expand the cabinet came after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's discussions with Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah in Delhi. These discussions have seemingly paved the way for the reshuffle, with the BJP and JD(U) likely to accommodate some previous ministers while also introducing fresh faces.
The JD(U) is reportedly aiming to include representation from extremely backward classes in the expansion, keeping in mind caste, social and political balance. This strategic move is expected to strengthen social समीकरण and address upcoming political challenges. Political analysts suggest that the BJP has been implementing a reshuffle to recalibrate caste and regional equations while also promoting new leadership.
Several ministers in the current cabinet are managing multiple portfolios. For instance, from JD(U), Bijendra Yadav holds five departments, Vijay Chaudhary has four, and Shrawan Kumar and Sunil Kumar each oversee two. Similarly, from BJP, Vijay Singh, Mangal Pandey, and Arun Shankar Prasad each have responsibility for two additional departments. The cabinet expansion is expected to ease this burden by assigning new ministers to some of these portfolios, ensuring smoother operations.
The current composition of the Bihar cabinet includes 14 ministers from the BJP and 8 from the JD(U). The LJP(R) has one berth, while HAM(S) and RLM also have one each. Notably, in the previous cabinet formation, a significant number of former ministers were dropped for reasons ranging from performance concerns and caste realignment to internal party politics.
Political observers believe that Nitish Kumar may be strategically keeping ministerial positions vacant to potentially attract MLAs from other parties by offering them ministerial posts. There is speculation that a major political shift could occur in Bihar after Makar Sankranti, influencing the cabinet expansion. The expansion is also being viewed as a preparation for future elections, ensuring a balanced representation across various communities and regions.
