7 BJP MLAs join Nitish Kumar cabinet: Changed power dynamics at play in Bihar?

NEW DELHI: Is the stage set for a shift in power dynamics within the ruling NDA in Bihar? Is it the beginning of BJP's assertion over JD(U) in Bihar? Well, the answer to these questions is "yes" if today's cabinet expansion in the state is an indication to go by.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar inducted 7 new faces in his ministry - all of them members of his alliance partner the BJP. The cabinet expansion, which was pending for almost a year, was finalised after BJP chief JP Nadda had a meeting with Nitish Kumar.
Today's expansion, possibly the last one ahead of year-end assembly elections, has ensured that the two main NDA partners in the state - the BJP and the JD(U) - have representation in the ministry proportional to their numerical strength in the assembly. The BJP, which won 74 seats in the 2020 assembly elections now has 21 ministers while Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which won 43 seats, has 13 including the chief minister.
Also read: BJP gets nervous every time Nitish Kumar picks up his phone,' Congress reacts to Bihar cabinet expansion
The 2020 assembly elections marked a significant shift in number dynamics within the ruling NDA in Bihar. For the first time, the BJP, which was the junior partner in the alliance for over 15 years, overtook the JD(U) in the numbers game and became the senior partner of the alliance. However, the BJP then did not stake claim to the chief minister's post and kept its pre-poll promise of forming the NDA government under Nitish Kumar.
In all earlier assembly elections after 2000, when Jharkhand was bifurcated out of Bihar, the JD(U) always won more seats than the BJP and was the dominant partner. For almost two decades, Nitish Kumar was the undisputed leader of the alliance.

However, going ahead, this may change and the cabinet expansion was perhaps the first big indication.
"The cabinet expansion is the first sign of BJP assertion over JD(U) and it is the beginning. In the coming days, the BJP will assert more as the party realises this could be its best time to dominate in Bihar," says political analyst and former professor of Patna University N K Choudhary.
Choudhary has an interesting take on why Nitish can't complain about BJP dominance. "Politics is not for social service. For almost two decades, Nitish Kumar ensured that state BJP leaders played second fiddle to him. He he could do that because he was a tall and undisputed leader. But that seems to be changing now and the last elections saw JD(U) become a junior partner in alliance. The BJP on the other hand has a very strong national leadership at present and it is natural that it will not play second fiddle any more," Choudhary adds.
Those who know Nitish Kumar's style of governance in the last 20 years would agree that if given a free hand, the Bihar chief minister would not have opted for cabinet expansion with elections in the state just months away. But the BJP, confident with its electoral successes in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi, would surely have other plans for the state.
Also read: Who are 7 new ministers in Nitish Kumar's cabinet and why BJP picked them
A close look at the names picked up by the BJP would show that the party has carefully used the exercise to plan for the assembly elections.
The list of new ministers includes a JD(U) leader who has represented Bihar Sharif, in the CM's pocket borough Nalanda, for five times, thrice on a JD(U) ticket before crossing over to the BJP in 2015.
Another notable entry is Krishna Kumar Mantu, the MLA from Amnour in Saran district, who was recently in the news for organising a "Kurmi Chetna Rally" in Patna. This is interesting because Nitish Kumar belongs to this powerful OBC community and one wonders why he would want a leader who is mobilising Kurmis for BJP in his cabinet.
Nitish Kumar, who has earned the dubious distinction of "Paltu ram" due to his alliance flip-flops, faces a tough road ahead. It will be interesting to see how the JD(U) chief who has dictated terms in the past negotiates a demanding BJP going ahead.