With JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar taking oath as the Bihar Chief Minister for a record 10th time, 26 ministers from various NDA allies were also sworn in at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan Thursday, with senior BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha reinducted as the Deputy CMs.
Nitish’s new ministry comprises senior leaders and legislators as well as first-time MLAs and dynasts. There are 12 new faces in the ministry. While all the inductees from the JD(U) were also ministers in the previous government, the BJP nominated six new ministers.
Here is a look at some of the prominent ministers, first-timers and dynasts in the new Nitish Cabinet.
Ram Kripal Yadav (BJP)
Once a senior RJD leader, 64-year-old Ram Kripal Yadav is a first-timer in the Bihar Cabinet despite having been a Union minister, multiple-term MP, Patna deputy mayor, and MLC over the last few decades.
He switched to the BJP in 2014 and went on to defeat RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti from the Pataliputra Lok Sabha seat twice (2014 and 2019) before losing to her in last year’s elections.
He served as the Union Minister of State for Rural Development in the first Narendra Modi Cabinet. He won the recent Bihar polls from the Danapur seat, defeating RJD strongman and ex-MLA Ritlal Yadav.
Dilip Kumar Jaiswal (BJP)
A three-time MLC who has been associated with the BJP for over two decades, 61-year-old Jaiswal has served as the Bihar State Storage Corporation chairman as well as the state BJP treasurer.
He lost the Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat by a huge margin in 2024, following which he was appointed the Minister of Revenue and Land Reforms in the previous Nitish Cabinet. In accordance with the BJP’s “one man, one post” rule, he quit the Cabinet in February this year following his appointment as the state unit chief.
Jaiswal is said to be close to the BJP’s central leadership. He is known for his negotiating skills, which was seen during the NDA allies’ seat-sharing talks. He has also served as the BJP’s Sikkim in-charge earlier.
Santosh Kumar Suman (HAM-S)
The son of HAM(S) founder and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Suman’s reinduction into the Cabinet signals an uninterrupted run for him as a Bihar minister since 2020.
The 50-year-old MLC has earlier held several key portfolios including Minor Irrigation and SC/ST Welfare, IT and Minor Water Resources. Though he stayed away from the Bihar Assembly elections, his wife Deepa successfully contested the Imamganj seat, previously held by Manjhi.
Suman’s mother-in-law Jyoti Devi was also elected as an HAM(S) MLA from the Barachatti seat.
Deepak Prakash (RLM)
The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) sprang a surprise by nominating Deepak Prakash, the son of party chief Upendra Kushwaha, as a minister in the new NDA Cabinet. Prakash, 36, is not a member of either of the two Houses in the Bihar Legislature.
He is a computer science graduate, who worked as a software engineer before entering active politics in 2019-20.
His induction into the Nitish ministry marked the emergence of a second generation of leadership among the Kurmi-Koeri (Luv-Kush) groups, which have long been associated with his father. His mother Snehlata Kushwaha was elected as an MLA from the Sasaram seat in this election.
Shreyasi Singh (BJP)
At 34, Shreyasi is among the new members of the Nitish Cabinet. The daughter of former Union minister late Dijvijay Singh, Shreyasi shot to national fame as a shooter after winning a silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She later went on to win the gold medal in the 2018 CWG. She also represented the country at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She is a recipient of the Arjuna Award.
Shreyasi has been a two-time BJP MLA from the Jamui constituency.
Sanjay Singh ‘Tiger’ (BJP)
The brother of two-time Shahpur MLA Dharampal Singh, Sanjay has now made a comeback to the Assembly by winning from the Arrah seat. A BJP spokesperson, he first won an Assembly election from the Sandesh seat in 2010, only to lose it five years later.
Over the years, Sanjay has built a strong following in the Bhojpur region. He is popularly known as “Tiger”.
Rama Nishad (BJP)
The wife of former Muzaffarpur MP Ajay Nishad and daughter-in-law of ex-Union minister Captain Jaynarayan Nishad, Rama is a first-time MLA. She is a businesswoman by profession and is seen to be active in community work. She has been a vocal proponent of women literacy, skill training for youth, and local healthcare.
Pramod Kumar Chandravansi (BJP)
Pramod Kumar has been associated with the BJP since his student days. A former ABVP state minister of undivided Bihar, he is currently the BJP state vice-president, and an MLC. He has been inducted into the ministry for the first time now.
Sanjay Kumar Paswan (LJP-RV)
A first-time MLA, Sanjay Kumar Paswan, 52, is the LJP(RV)’s principal general secretary. He won the Bakhri seat in the recent polls. His elevation is being seen as an indication of the Chirag Paswan-led party’s growing presence beyond its traditional belts.
Sanjay Kumar Singh (LJP-RV)
Another first-time MLA, Sanjay Kumar Singh won from the RJD stronghold Mahua seat. Seen as a close aide of Chirag, he is now among the LJP(RV)’s most visible faces. He is known as a key driver of the party’s strategy for expanding its footprint in Bihar.
Narayan Prasad (BJP)
Beginning his politics in the mid-1980s, 67-year-old Prasad gradually rose up the ranks. He was elected as a zila parishad member in 2001, who first won the Nautan Assembly seat in 2015. He has retained it since.
Seen to have significant influence in West Champaran district, especially among the members of the Teli (Sahu) community, Prasad had once served as the state tourism minister.
