10 of 26 Ministers in Nitish Kumar’s New Cabinet Are Dynasts, Draws RJD Criticism
Nitish Kumar includes 10 ministers with political lineage in Bihar cabinet, sparking criticism.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has long positioned himself against dynastic politics, has inducted 10 ministers with political lineage into his newly sworn-in 26-member cabinet. This move has attracted sharp criticism from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the principal opposition in the state, alleging nepotism within the Janata Dal (United)-BJP alliance.
Among the ministers with dynastic backgrounds are Santosh Sumeet Manjhi, son of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi; Samrat Chaudhary, son of former minister Shakuni Chaudhary; Deepak Prakash, son of former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha; and Shreyasi Singh, daughter of late Union minister Digvijay Singh. Several others similarly hail from political families, underscoring the extent of inherited influence in the cabinet.
Nitish Kumar dropped four ministers from his previous council, which caused some discontent within JD(U), but the overall mood in the party remains optimistic after the NDA’s strong return to power in the 2025 state elections. BJP, too, added six new faces to the cabinet. Meanwhile, the RJD accused the government of practicing the very dynasty politics it had criticized, claiming the appointments aim to secure caste and regional vote banks ahead of future elections.
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The cabinet also saw the exclusion of prominent figures like Nitish Mishra, the former Industries Minister credited with efforts to attract investment, triggering public debate over governance priorities amidst Bihar’s pressing economic needs. Defenders argue it is the chief minister’s prerogative to select his team, balancing experience and political realities.
This mix of seasoned ministers, political heirs, and new faces signals the complex interplay of political alliances, family legacies, and electoral strategies shaping Bihar’s governance landscape under Nitish Kumar’s tenth term as Chief Minister.
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