The Bihar assembly elections are due in October or November this year. The NDA government in the state has expanded its cabinet to fill vacant positions. The appointments, it seems, are aimed at balancing caste and regional aspirations in a bid to boost the alliance’s prospects. All the seven ministers belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), highlighting its heft in the alliance. A big question mark hangs over whether the party will contest the polls with Nitish Kumar as its chief ministerial face, or whether it pull an Eknath Shinde post-poll. Despite Nitish’s waning health and popularity, the Janata Dal (United) insists on naming him the chief ministerial candidate. The next few months could set off a political potboiler in Bihar. The cabinet expansion has also led to rumours that the state elections could be pre-poned. The BJP had declared that Nitish would be the Chief Minister, irrespective of the parties’ seat tally in the election. Nitish may use this as a bargaining chip in upcoming state elections. The JD(U), already jittery after the BJP’s Maharashtra move, has demanded that the NDA announce Nitish as the chief minister immediately. Any delay can complicate matters, given the buzz about the 74-year-old leader’s deteriorating health.
