Nitish sworn in as CM with Lalu's son as deputy CM

The allocation of departments among the new ministers reveals that it's RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who would be calling shots in Bihar

As senior Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar was sworn in on Friday afternoon as Bihar's Chief Minister for a fifth time, he assumed a new role. That of poster boy for Opposition unity as political parties and leaders who oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) showed up in strength for the ceremony.

However, allocation of departments among the new ministers reveals that it is Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, who will call the shots in Bihar. His sons ,Tejaswi and Tej, Pratap took oath as ministers in the new government.

Tejaswi, 26, has been appointed deputy chief minister in acceptance of the RJD's stupendous performance in the Bihar assembly elections. The RJD, with 80 MLAs, is the largest party in the new legislative assembly. Tejaswi has also been allocated roads, building construction and the backward castes welfare departments, elder brother Tej Pratap was given the health, environment and minor irrigation portfolios. Both are first-time lawmakers.

Tej Pratap fumbled while taking oath. He apparently could not pronounce the word "apkeshit" (expected) and instead said "upkeshit" (neglected), following which Governor Ram Nath Kovind pointed out the mistake and asked the MLA from Mahua to repeat his oath.

RJD leader and one of Lalu Prasad’s most trusted lieutenants, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, has been given charge of state finances. Another RJD stalwart, Chandrika Rai, has been allocated transport. Senior RJD leader Ram Vichar Rai has been appointed agriculture minister and Vijay Prakash labour minister. Prakash is the younger brother of RJD MP Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav. A dozen RJD MLAs have been appointed ministers in Kumar's new ministry.

Kumar has retained home, general administration and information and public relations. From the JD(U)'s quota of 12 ministers, Vijendra Yadav has retained the energy portfolio and Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh water resources. Another of Kumar’s aides, Sharwan Kumar, has been given charge of rural development and Jai Kumar Singh industries. First-time JD(U) MLAs include Madan Sahani, who has been given food supplies and consumer affairs. Kumar had to drop two trusted lieutenants, Shayam Rajak and PK Shahi, to accommodate the RJD and the Congress.

From the Congress quota of four ministerial berths, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Ashok Choudhari will get education, Abdul Jalil Mastan excise and registration, and Madan Mohan Jha revenue and land reforms.

Seven more ministers can be accommodated in the Cabinet but the seats have been kept vacant to accommodate future needs.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, whose party was a major beneficiary of the grand alliance, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, National Conference leaders and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar and the AIUDF leader from Assam Badaruddin Ajmal were among those present at the ceremony.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, deputed by Prime Minister Modi, was also present. A number of Congress chief ministers, including Virbhadra Singh (Himachal Pradesh), Oommen Chandy (Kerala), Tarun Gogoi (Assam) and Siddaramaiah (Karnataka) attended the event as did the CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, CPI's Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja, and DMK's M K Stalin and T R Baalu. Some allies of the BJP, Sukhbir Badal (Akali Dal) and Ram Das Kadam and Subhash Desai (Shiv Sena) were also present.