10 of 26 ministers in Nitish cabinet are dynasts; RJD flags nepotism

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar — long seen as a leader who kept his own son away from politics and positioned himself as the antithesis to RJD supremo and former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s dynastic model — has inducted 10 dynasts into his new cabinet, drawing criticism from opponents.

On Thursday, when Nitish Kumar took oath as chief minister for the 10th time, 26 ministers were sworn in alongside him — 10 of whom come from prominent political families. The list of ministers with political lineage includes:

1. Santosh Sumeet Manjhi, son of former chief minister and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi

2. Samrat Chaudhary, son of former minister Shakuni Chaudhary

3. Deepak Prakash, son of former Union minister and current Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha

4. Shreyasi Singh, daughter of former Union minister Digvijay Singh

5. Rama Nishad, daughter-in-law of former Union minister Captain Jai Narayan Nishad

6. Vijay Chaudhary, son of former MLA Jagdish Prasad Chaudhary

7. Ashok Chaudhary, son of former minister Mahavir Chaudhary

8. Nitin Naveen, son of former MLA Naveen Kishor Sinha

9. Sunil Kumar, son of former minister Chandrika Ram

10. Lesi Singh, wife of former Samata Party district president Bhutan Singh

Nitish’s new ministry includes senior legislators, first-time MLAs and, as mentioned, a significant number of dynasts. Twelve new faces have been inducted. While all JD(U) ministers were part of the previous cabinet, the BJP has nominated six new ministers.

All eight JD(U) leaders sworn in on Thursday are seasoned figures — aged between 52 and 79 — each with prior ministerial experience. However, Nitish’s decision to drop four of the 13 ministers from his previous cabinet has caused quiet discontent within the party. Among those excluded was Sumit Kumar Singh, who lost the election from the Chakai seat in Jamui district.

The move has also provided fresh ammunition to the state's principal opposition party RJD, which accused the JD(U)-BJP alliance of hypocrisy.

“They attacked the RJD for dynasty politics for years. Today they are indulging in the same, handing over ministries to children and relatives of powerful leaders,” an RJD spokesperson said, accusing the NDA of using dynastic appointments to secure caste and regional vote banks. The issue has already become a major flashpoint during and after the Bihar 2025 election and oath ceremony.

“It is the chief minister’s prerogative to decide who to induct, who to drop, and when to expand the cabinet. The CM has taken the decision, and the matter ends there,” a JD(U) leader said.

The mood within the JD(U) remains upbeat after the NDA’s surprisingly smooth comeback, particularly given the aggressive challenge from the Mahagathbandhan or grand alliance led by Tejashwi Yadav, with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in strong support.

Bihar watchers say Nitish Kumar, who repeatedly cited non-dynastic politics as his ideological edge over Lalu Prasad Yadav, now presides over a ministry where nearly half the new entrants have inherited political influence.

A total of 19 old ministers were dropped from the previous Nitish cabinet during the 2025 Bihar government formation. This includes former state industries minister Nitish Mishra.

The BJP leader and MLA from Jhanjharpur in Madhubani district was considered instrumental in efforts to attract investment to Bihar and held a reputation as a meritorious minister. His exclusion from the new cabinet has sparked significant public and social media criticism, especially given Bihar's urgent need for industrial growth and investment.