Patna, May 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be in Bihar on Thursday when the state’s first BJP-helmed cabinet will undergo an expansion in the presence of top leaders of the NDA.
Modi, who is expected to land at Patna airport around 11.30 am, would reach the Gandhi Maidan, the venue of the function situated six kilometres away.
“The Prime Minister’s convoy is expected to take 30 minutes to reach the venue of the function from the airport. Barricades have been placed on both sides of the roads, people may greet the leader standing behind these”, a senior police officer said.
The function is being seen as a veritable celebration, by the party, of finally heading a government in the only Hindi heartland state where the seat of power had remained elusive until the resignation of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, as chief minister, last month.
“It is, indeed, a government function. But the occasion is of special importance to the party. So we are also putting in efforts from our end to ensure that the ceremony is a grand success”, said state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal.
The enthusiasm is palpable among BJP workers, who had to contend with a low-key swearing-in of their leader Samrat Choudhary as the chief minister last month, but now have additional reasons to be jubilant with the saffron wave sweeping neighbouring West Bengal, and the party’s hold consolidating in Assam.
However, party sources confessed that inclement weather, marked by rains and thunderstorms, which have been intermittently lashing the city for the past couple of days, is a cause for concern.
Top leaders like Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin and national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh have been camping in the city since Wednesday night.
Those expected to arrive ahead of the function include Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Jagat Prakash Nadda, besides Chief Ministers of various BJP-ruled states.
Alliance partners, who are expected to be present at the function, include Nitish Kumar, whose son Nishant is said to have agreed to join the Samrat Choudhary government.
Kumar, who had served as the chief minister of Bihar for the longest period of time, relinquished the post in order to move to the Rajya Sabha. His 45-year-old son, who had until now stayed away from active politics, agreed to enter public life upon the insistence of JD(U) workers who were anxious about the party’s prospects after the supremo gave up power.
Other alliance partners who are likely to attend the function include Union minister Chirag Paswan, the MP from Hajipur, whose LJPRV had two ministers in the Nitish Kumar cabinet but is waiting for its turn in the new BJP-led government.
The state government at present has only two ministers – Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav – both top JD(U) leaders, who have been designated as deputy CMs.
The arrangement was being seen as a flipping of the power equation that was in place when Nitish Kumar had Samrat Choudhary and another senior BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Sinha, as his deputies.
As per the Constitution, which stipulates that the size of the cabinet must not exceed 15 per cent of the total strength of the state assembly, the council of ministers in Bihar, where the House is 243-strong, can accommodate a total of 30 members.
The BJP and the JD(U), which together account for 174 seats out of the NDA’s overall tally of 202, are likely to lap up the lion’s share in the expanded cabinet.
Smaller allies like LJPRV in addition to HAM and RLM, headed by Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and ex-Union minister Upendra Kushwaha respectively, are also hopeful of a representation that is commensurate with their respective strengths. PTI NAC BDC
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