Almost two months after he virtually named Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav as his successor come the 2025 Assembly polls, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has come out with another endorsement. On Saturday, asked about the long-awaited Cabinet expansion of the Mahagathbandhan government led by him - six more ministers can be appointed, given the maximum ministry strength of 36 - Nitish directed questions at Tejashwi, saying he would be finalising the list of ministers. “The media should ask Tejashwi Yadav (about the Cabinet expansion). He has been talking to Mahagathbandhan parties . the ministerial share of each party is fixed. Tejashwi has been talking with them to finalise the list. The Congress also approached me, but I asked them to consult Tejashwi," he said, in his usual cryptic style. The statement has two major implications. It firstly signifies the growing stature of Tejashwi. After the 2020 polls, he became the undisputed leader of the RJD and now seems to be on course to becoming the trusted number two in the Grand Alliance arrangement. Since Nitish recently made it clear that he would “prefer to die than return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)” led by the BJP, he has all the more reasons to encourage Tejashwi to assume a bigger role. The Grand Alliance is holding its first mega joint rally on February 25 in Purnea in the state. In this backdrop, it would certainly help the CM to keep his deputy and the alliance’s key constituent in good humour. RJD national president Lalu Prasad also recently returned to India after his kidney transplant in Singapore – and the Bihar CM looks to have timed his statement very well. Until Nitish returned to it in August 2022 after dumping the BJP, the Mahagathbandhan was led by the RJD and comprised the Congress, CPI, CPI (M-L) , CPI (Marxist). The Hindustan Awam Morcha (S) and an Independent were JD (U) allies as part of NDA. All of these parties came together to form the government with a team of 164 MLAs in a House of 243. The statement was also characteristically deft handling on Nitish's part, given the tough job involved in taking into account each party’s considerations and demands for a Cabinet expansion, while he himself avoids the heart burn. Nitish incidentally had never given such a responsibility to Sushil Kumar Modi, his deputy while he was with the NDA. The Congress, which has been seeking more seats at the Cabinet table, though doesn't seem to be entirely convinced about Nitish's suggestion that he will have no role to play. "The CM might have asked Tejashwi to finalise the list of the would-be ministers but the final prerogative of the Cabinet expansion lies with the CM,” Bihar Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said. Not missing a chance to take a swipe at the JD(U), the BJP accused Nitish of "surrendering to the RJD". BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary and party spokesperson Nikhil Anand said: "Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is waiting for super CM Tejashwi's final seal on Cabinet expansion. (JDU rebel) Upendra Kushwaha's words are true about the likelihood of the JD(U)'s merger with the RJD. Nitish now wants the entire JD(U) to carry Tejashwi's palanquin."
