Patna News: In a ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Patna on Friday, JDU MLA from Sonbarsha Ratnesh Sada took oath as cabinet minister of Bihar. The appointment comes after resignation of Santosh Suman, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi from Bihar cabinet. In the cabinet expansion meet by CM Nitish Kumar, leaders form RJD and Congress also took oath as cabinet ministers of Bihar. The newly appointed minister has accused Hindustani Awam Morcha’s(Secular) father-son duo of neglecting Nitish Kumar because of “insatiable greed and vaulting ambition.”
Cabinet revamp, long overdue amid turmoil
The JDU broke off from BJP led NDA alliance and reformed Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government with RJD and Congress in August 2022. As of Sada’s appointment their are 16 RJD Ministers, 11 ministers from JDU, 2 from congress and one independent minister. The upper limit for minsters in Bihar is 36. Sada, who hails from North Bihar is seen as a potential to counterweight Jitan Ram Manjhi’s influence in the region. By appointing Sada, Nitish Kumar seeks to neutralize damage that may be caused if HAM(s) joins NDA alliance in 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. Sada has also accused Manjhi of “paying lip service to Dalits, especially Musahars despite being a minister in several governments since 1980s besides a brief tenure as the CM”, PTI reported.
Severance of ties
Santosh Suman resigned on Tuesday, alleging pressure from JDU to merge the HAM(s) outfit with the party in power. Suman said that the existence of his party was in danger and this is the reason he handed over his resignation from the Bihar government. “In Mahagathbandhan, we considered Nitish Kumar as our leader and we still consider him one. But for the past few days, a proposal for a merger of the party was being put before us…This is not a unilateral decision by me. This was decided after meeting with and talking to everyone..,” said Santosh Suman. Responding to a question on whether HAM(s) will join the opposition, Suman explained that his priority is ensuring existence of his party and no conversations regarding joining the opposition are being made. Santosh Suman said that he still wishes to be a part of Mahagathbandhan but his primary will focus be protecting the party.
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