Bihar Election 2025: Nitish Kumar’s new cabinet reflects strategic caste balance

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar with PM Modi during the oath ceremony in Patna. Pic/PTI

Hours after Nitish Kumar took the oath as the Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar, the newly constituted government yet again ensured that caste balance remained an extremely decisive factor.

Nitish Kumar took oath as CM for a record 10th time. Along with him, a total of 26 ministers were inducted into the new cabinet from various NDA constituents.

The cabinet ministers who took oath in the newly formed assembly included 14 from the BJP, eight from the JD(U), two from the LJP(RV), and one each from the RLM and HAM, news agency IANS reported.

In the previous cabinet, senior BJP leaders Mangal Pandey and Nitish Mishra represented the Brahmin community. However, this time, the BJP has reduced the Brahmin quota, retaining only Mangal Pandey as the cabinet minister.

The JD(U) did not have a Brahmin face in the cabinet, marking a notable shift in the caste arithmetic across the state assembly, IANS reported.

Furthermore, the BJP has also given significant importance to the Rajput community, traditionally one of its core support bases.

Four MLAs from the Rajput community who have been sworn in as ministers are Sanjay Tiger, Shreyasi Singh, Leshi Singh, and Sanjay Singh.

This caste arithmetic in the Bihar cabinet marks a strategic attempt to consolidate Rajput support in the state.

Apart from the Rajput community, two prominent leaders, Vijay Kumar Sinha and Vijay Chaudhary, were inducted as cabinet ministers from the Bhumihar community, which continues to wield considerable political influence in Bihar, IANS reported.

Nitin Naveen, from the Kayastha community, has also been indicted into the cabinet. He is considered an important BJP face, especially in Patna and other urban regions.

Furthermore, the OBCs remain the largest social bloc in Bihar politics, and the cabinet reflects this demographic reality.

By including two Yadav ministers, the NDA has attempted to send a calculated message to the community that it seeks broader social inclusion beyond traditional vote banks.

NDA also has maintained strong representation for Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who have played a crucial role in its electoral success during the Bihar 2025 elections.

By including Mohammad Jama Khan in the cabinet, the NDA has also attempted to send a message of inclusivity to the Muslim community.

(With inputs from IANS)