Patna, Bihar — Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has finalized the much-anticipated portfolio distribution for the newly formed Bihar government, confirming Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary as the state’s new Home Minister. The allocation completes the structure of the 26-member cabinet sworn in this week under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), following Nitish Kumar’s oath-taking for a record tenth term.
According to officials, the full list of departmental assignments has been submitted to Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, establishing the administrative framework for the new government after the NDA’s decisive victory in the 2025 Assembly elections.
Chief Minister Keeps Key Administrative Departments
Nitish Kumar has retained several core departments under his direct control, including:
- General Administration
- Cabinet Secretariat
- Vigilance
- Election
- All unallocated departments
These portfolios position the Chief Minister at the administrative centre of the government, maintaining oversight of governance, appointments, and operational coordination across departments.
Samrat Choudhary to Head Home Ministry
Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary has been given charge of the Home Department, one of the most powerful ministries in the state. The allocation signals the BJP’s strengthened role within the NDA coalition and places law and order, policing, and internal security under his command.
Vijay Sinha to Lead Mines, Geology and Development Reforms
The Chief Minister’s second deputy, Vijay Kumar Sinha, will oversee:
- Rural and Urban Development Reforms
- Mines and Geology
The Mines and Geology portfolio is particularly significant given Bihar’s resource-linked revenue streams and industrial ambitions. Sinha’s role positions him centrally in infrastructure and regional development policy.
Finance Goes to Bijendra Prasad Yadav
Senior JD(U) leader Bijendra Prasad Yadav has been entrusted with the Finance portfolio, along with:
- Energy
- Planning & Development
- Prohibition, Excise & Registration
- Commercial Taxes
The cluster of departments consolidates Bihar’s fiscal planning, revenue mobilisation, energy supply management, and economic policy under a single senior administrator.
BJP Secures Major Ministries in New Cabinet
With the BJP emerging as the single-largest party in the 2025 Assembly results, the party has secured a dominant share of influential ministries, including:
- Home
- Health
- Road Construction
- Agriculture
This marks a major power redistribution within the NDA, reflecting the electoral mandate and BJP’s expanded bargaining strength.
Cabinet Composition by Party Strength
The cabinet includes ministers from four alliance parties:
✅ BJP — 14 berths
✅ JD(U) — 9 berths
✅ LJP (Ram Vilas) — 2 berths
✅ HAM (Secular) — 1 berth
✅ Rashtriya Lok Morcha — 1 berth
This alignment gives the NDA coalition full numerical control in the Assembly while distributing symbolic inclusion across allies.
Election Results Context
The NDA secured a commanding 202 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, forming government with a comfortable majority.
Party-wise results:
- BJP — 89 seats
- JD(U) — 85 seats
- LJP (Ram Vilas) — 19 seats
- Remaining seats shared among allies and smaller formations
The results paved the way for Nitish Kumar to retain leadership, extending his tenure as one of India’s longest-serving Chief Ministers.
Key Portfolio Highlights Across the Cabinet
Infrastructure & Connectivity
- Nitin Nabin — Road Construction, Urban Development & Housing
- Vijay Chaudhary — Building Construction, Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources
Health, Education & Welfare
- Mangal Pandey — Health and Law
- Sushil Kumar — Education, Science, Technology & Technical Education
- Madan Sahni — Social Welfare
- Ajay Kumar Roshan — SC/ST Welfare
- Kumari Neelam — Backward and Extremely Backward Class Welfare
Agriculture & Rural Sector
- Surya Kumar Yadav — Agriculture
- Shravan Kumar — Rural Development and Transport
- Ashok Choudhary — Rural Works
Industry, Environment & Digital
- Dr Sitaram Yadav — Industries
- Ranjit Kumar — Small Industries
- Dr Pramod Kumar — Environment, Forest & Climate Change
- Sushmita Shreya Singh — Information Technology and Sports
Cultural and Minority Affairs
- Mohammad Jama Khan — Minority Welfare
- Sunil Mehta — Art, Culture & Youth
- Narayan Prasad — Animal & Fish Resources
Political Significance of the Portfolio Allocation
Analysts observe several key implications:
✅ BJP now controls law and order machinery
✅ JD(U) retains financial and administrative influence
✅ Nitish Kumar maintains central authority through allocation structure
✅ Allies given symbolic representation to preserve coalition stability
✅ The cabinet reflects caste-regional balancing, a hallmark of Bihar politics
What Comes Next
The new cabinet will now:
- prepare its first budget
- outline development priorities
- coordinate Centre-State policy alignment
- respond to economic recovery expectations
- navigate coalition power dynamics
The distribution marks the beginning of another political chapter under Nitish Kumar, whose leadership continues to shape Bihar’s governance trajectory after more than two decades in power.
