Vikrant Shekhawat : Feb 09, 2021, 06:01 PM
Patna: BJP national spokesperson and former Union minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, who got elected to the Bihar legislative council last month, was among the 17 new inductees sworn in as a member of the Nitish Kumar cabinet on Tuesday. Hussain was the first to be administered the oath of office by Governor Phagu Chauhan at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan for the much-awaited cabinet expansion.Along with him joined late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s cousin Niraj Singh ‘Bablu’, while others who were sworn in on the day included JD(U) leaders Sanjay Kumar Jha, Shravan Kumar, Lesi Singh and Madan Sahni, and Pramod Kumar of the BJP. All of them had held ministerial positions in the previous government.Apart from them, independent candidate Sumit Kumar was also sworn in the state cabinet from the JD(U) quota.The Bihar cabinet expansion was due since November last year when the Nitish Kumar-led government regained power in the state.Prior to this, the Bihar cabinet had 14 ministerial members, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Meanwhile, seven ministers were inducted through the BJP quota, five from Janata Dal-United and one each from Hindustani Awam Morcha and Vikassheel Insaan Party.