The composition of the newly sworn-in Council of Ministers in Bihar, and the distribution of portfolios, reflect the ongoing realignment of power between the BJP and the JD(U). JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar retains the post of Chief Minister, even though his party finished second to the BJP in the Assembly election. However, for the first time in his nearly 20 years as Chief Minister, he is not in charge of the Home Department. Samrat Choudhary, one of the two BJP Deputy Chief Ministers, now controls this administratively powerful ministry. Vijay Kumar Sinha, the other Deputy Chief Minister, has been assigned revenue, land reforms, mines and geology, further consolidating the BJP’s control over critical administrative levers. The BJP holds 14 of the 26 ministerial berths and controls key departments including health, law, road construction, urban development, and agriculture. The BJP has effectively taken a decisive step in formally inverting the hierarchy of its alliance with the JD(U) in its favour. While the BJP was the larger party even in 2020, Nitish Kumar retained crucial ministries. The social justice plank and the composition of the previous Assembly gave the JD(U) room to keep an alliance with the RJD open. But the overwhelming sweep of the National Democratic Alliance this time has not only placed the BJP firmly on top but has also made any exploration of alternatives by the JD(U) difficult, if not impossible.
Nitish Kumar is battling ill-health; while he remains indispensable for the BJP, the party is also carefully planning its long-term path. It has built a wide and deep caste coalition, seeking to reach communities that have traditionally viewed the JD(U) as their platform. The induction of Ram Kripal Yadav, a former Lalu Yadav loyalist who joined the BJP, signals that Yadavs too can have a place in the party. Through clever social engineering and administrative manoeuvring, the BJP has now positioned itself at the pole position of Bihar politics. But the real challenge ahead is good governance. The BJP may claim that its repeat victory is a popular endorsement of its previous government, but the State remains behind on many development indicators. The true test for the new Council will be whether it can pull Bihar forward. Bihar is home to nearly a tenth of India’s population, and the State’s development can positively influence the entire country. The Council should confront the substantial governance deficit honestly and work to address it with active support from the Centre.