Bihar cabinet expansion likely soon: Nitish

Decks have been cleared for expansionof the recently formed cabinet in Bihar and the same wouldtake place in near future, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saidhere on Monday.

He, however, debunked speculations in a section of themedia during the course of the day that it was likely to takeplace on Tuesday.

''Not tomorrow......you do not worry we would duly informpeople in advance. I cannot say whether it will take placeafter two days or ten days. But, it will be sooner rather thanlater'', Kumar told reporters who approached him with freneticqueries about cabinet expansion.

The state cabinet can have up to 36 members and atpresent it has only 13, besides the Chief Minister.

Kumar had been maintaining that the same did not takeplace for want of a ''prastaav'' (proposal) from the BJP whichhas the largest number of MLAs in the ruling NDA.

NDA sources say that there had been a tussle between Kumarand the BJP over the issue of representation of his JD(U) andthe saffron party.

While the BJP is said to have been demanding a lionsshare, Kumar is said to have been keen on a formula in whichthe saffron party and the JD(U) had equal representation.

It has been the contention of the JD(U), which had beenthe senior coalition partner in the state until the assemblyelections, that it has not lost its support base as evidentfrom its vote share and that the steep decline in its tallywas to be blamed on the rebellion from LJP headed by ChiragPaswan whom the BJP failed to rein in.

On Sunday evening, state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal,accompanied by Deputy CMs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi both from his party had called on Kumar at his officialresidence where the differences over the issue appear to havebeen ironed out.

The formula agreed upon by the two parties was, however,not known.

The NDA in Bihar has altogether four constituents BJP,JD(U), former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhis HindustaniAwam Morcha (HAM) and Bollywood set designer turned politicianMukesh Sahnis Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP).

At present, the BJP has seven members in the cabinet,including the two Deputy CMs while the JD(U) has only four,besides the Chief Minister.

Manjhis son has been accommodated from HAM while Sahnihas been made a minister despite having lost his seat inassembly polls.

The BJP has given Sahni the legislative council seatvacated by former state minister Binod Narayan Jha, who hasnow become an MLA.

Sahni filed his nomination for the council seat duringthe day.

Speculations are rife in the political circles that BJPnational spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, who has beenfieleded by the party in the by-poll on the legislativecouncil seat vacated by former deputy chief minister SushilKumar Modi, could get a berth in the state cabinet.

When a question in this regard was posed to Hussain by themedia persons, he refused to make any direct comment andmerely said as a disciplined soldier of the BJP he has alwaysbeen obeying party's order.