Patna: CM Samrat Choudhary met his predecessor and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar at the latter’s residence on Saturday morning before leaving for Delhi in the evening, fuelling speculation over a cabinet expansion. Sources said the exercise, delayed amid the West Bengal assembly polls, could take place after results on May 4.The meeting at 7, Circular Road — Nitish’s new residence after vacating the CM house — lasted around 30 minutes. While there was no official confirmation on the agenda, sources said the cabinet expansion and political coordination within the NDA were among the key issues discussed.At present, only three members have taken oath in the new govt — Samrat and his deputies Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav — all of whom are handling multiple departments. The CM currently holds charge of as many as 29 departments, while the two deputies together manage 18, with Vijay Kumar Choudhary overseeing 10 and Yadav eight.
Sources said Samrat has travelled to Delhi with a list of probable ministers for approval from the party high command, with caste representation within the NDA and continuity with Nitish’s governance model expected to play a crucial role. Induction of some new and younger faces is being considered, although a majority of ministers from the previous Nitish Kumar Cabinet may be retained.Attention has also turned to former deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, who earlier handled key portfolios such as revenue and land reforms and mines. Some of his earlier decisions were reviewed by the present administration, and changes in his departments, including transfer of senior officials, are learned to have left him upset. His role in the new cabinet remains uncertain.Samrat’s Delhi visit followed Nitish’s meetings with close aides Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Ashok Choudhary, intensifying political activity in the state capital. The developments came a day after Nitish shifted to 7, Circular Road, a residence he had briefly occupied in 2014 after stepping down following a poor Lok Sabha poll performance.Except for that brief period, 1, Anne Marg remained Nitish’s official residence for most of his tenure since Nov 2005. During this time, he remained at the helm of the govt across multiple terms, taking oath as CM a record 10 times before handing over charge to his ally.
