Rabri Devi instals mother of all ministries

The ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal’s strength in the House stands at 136, which means that more than 50 per cent of them are ministers. Small wonder, then, that a couple of hardnosed and by now cynical bureaucrats could not help wondering aloud at the swearing-in ceremony about the logistics of finding offices and related trappings for the incoming ministers.

The downpour, which began midway through the ceremony, was not the only dampener to the swearing-in. At least half a dozen Rashtriya Janata Dal members, clearly disgruntled over not making it to the Rabri cabinet, sulked in corners: the more vocal of them, like deputy chief whip Shahdeo Paswan, loudly announced he was resigning from the party because the ministry is “dominated by mafia and criminal elements” and, “there is no place for persons of integrity”.

Another RJD legislator, Ashok Kumar Singh, was apparently “deeply hurt” by the status of minister of state, and abstained from taking his oath even after his name was announced.

The Raj Bhavan ceremony was preceded by high drama at the Chief Minister’s 1, Anne Road residence. Here brother Sadhoo Yadav lost his shirt when it was clear he was not going to be inducted. He held senior minister Raghunath Jha responsible for this and openly showered searing expletives at him.

Thankfully, the abuse appeared to have fallen on granite ears: had the sharp-tongued Jha chosen to retaliate, things could well have gone out of control. Despite Sadhoo Yadav himself being kept out of his sister’s cabinet, many of his well-known acolytes have made it.

Predictably, the state Janata Dal, which Laloo Prasad Yadav earlier this month cannibalised to form his Rashtriya Janata Dal, was quick to point out that many of Rabri’s ministers have criminal records. JD MLA Ganesh Yadav alleged that at least 10 MLAs who became ministers today have grave criminal cases against them and “some of them are still wanted by the police”.

Part of the reason for the gigantic ministry is Rabri’s (read: Laloo’s) attempt to accommodate Bihar’s caste spectrum. Yadavs, very predictability, form the bulk of the cabinet with 26. The Rajputs have nine representatives, the Brahmins and the Bhumihars have two apiece.