PATNA, Jan 11 (PTI): The Congress in Bihar on Tuesday expressed hope that it will get a greater representation in the Nitish Kumar cabinet which is likely to be expanded next month.
State Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh told reporters that he has apprised the chief minister of his party’s sentiments and the latter has given assurance of needful action.
“The chief minister has told me that he will expand his cabinet after his Samadhan Yatra is over. He has promised that our party will be given a number of berths that is commensurate with its strength in the assembly”, he told a press conference held at Sadaqat Ashram, the BPCC headquarters.
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The Samadhan Yatra is likely to conclude in the first week of February.
The cabinet expansion is likely before the budget session of the assembly which will begin at the end of February.
The Congress leader, whose party has 19 MLAs in the 243-strong state assembly, said in reply to a query that he was hopeful of “two more” cabinet berths.
The party has two ministers in the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government formed after Kumar dumped the BJP in August last year.
The Rajya Sabha member said that repeated assertions by the JD(U) that Kumar had all qualities for becoming the Prime Minister would not lead to a conflict with the Congress which is pitching for Rahul Gandhi.
“Nobody has any doubts over our chief minister’s competence. But we must also pay heed to what the CM himself said so emphatically last week”, said the Congress leader alluding to an advertisement by Kumar that he was “not a claimant for the top post” and had “no problems” with Congress pushing for Gandhi.
The former Union minister was also asked about the controversy over RJD MLA Sudhakar Singh going hammers and tongs at the CM after having been made to resign from the cabinet in October.
“None of the Mahagathbandhan constituents is happy with the insolence. I have spoken to RJD leaders and they too want it to stop”, said Singh, who was formerly with the RJD.
“Deputy CM (Tejashwi Yadav) has gone on record expressing his disapproval. I believe action is being delayed simply because party supremo Lalu Prasad is away in Singapore, recuperating from his kidney transplant operation and action against a sitting MLA has to be taken by the top man”, added the Congress leader.
He declined to comment on speculations about JD(U) parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwaha’s induction as a Deputy CM, saying “it is an internal matter of their party and a prerogative of the chief minister”.
The BPCC president, who has been with the Bihar version of Bharat Jodo Yatra, launched last week by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, said the march will resume after Makar Sankranti festivities.
He reiterated that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will fly down to Patna when the Yatra reaches the state capital “early next month”.
“Exact date will be made known in due course. Also, as stated earlier, the Yatra will conclude at Gaya in March with a rally of Rahul Gandhi”, said the BPCC chief.
Singh claimed that the BJP was “jittery” over “declining popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which led to its defeat in the home state of national president J P Nadda (Himachal Pradesh) where the Congress has formed its government”.
