Nitish Kumar’s emphatic victory in last week’s Bihar election — with the Janata Dal (United) winning 85 of 243 seats, a dramatic improvement over its 2015 tally — has secured him another term as Chief Minister. But the post-poll power equation suggests the seasoned leader will share more space with the BJP than ever before. In a striking shift, Nitish has handed over the crucial Home portfolio, which he has controlled for nearly two decades, to BJP leader Samrat Choudhary, who returns as Deputy Chief Minister.

The BJP’s expanding footprint in the new cabinet is evident. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha has been allotted the Revenue and Mines departments, while senior leaders have taken charge of key ministries: Agriculture (Ram Kripal Yadav), Backward Classes Welfare (Rama Nishad), Disaster Management (Narayan Prasad), Industries (Dilip Jaiswal), and Labour (Sanjay Singh Tiger). Former state BJP president Mangal Pandey has been entrusted with both Health and Law.

Other important portfolios, including Roads and Housing, Tourism, IT and Sports, Fisheries, and Environment, have also gone to the BJP. The JDU retains Social Welfare, Rural Works, Education, Energy, and Water Resources. Smaller allies have been accommodated with Sugarcane, Public Health Engineering, Minor Water Resources, and Panchayati Raj departments. The Home Ministry handover underscores the BJP’s growing dominance in the alliance.

Nitish Kumar’s emphatic victory in last week’s Bihar election — with the Janata Dal (United) winning 85 of 243 seats, a dramatic improvement over its 2015 tally — has secured him another term as Chief Minister. But the post-poll power equation suggests the seasoned leader will share more space with the BJP than ever before. In a striking shift, Nitish has handed over the crucial Home portfolio, which he has controlled for nearly two decades, to BJP leader Samrat Choudhary, who returns as Deputy Chief Minister.

The BJP’s expanding footprint in the new cabinet is evident. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha has been allotted the Revenue and Mines departments, while senior leaders have taken charge of key ministries: Agriculture (Ram Kripal Yadav), Backward Classes Welfare (Rama Nishad), Disaster Management (Narayan Prasad), Industries (Dilip Jaiswal), and Labour (Sanjay Singh Tiger). Former state BJP president Mangal Pandey has been entrusted with both Health and Law.

Other important portfolios, including Roads and Housing, Tourism, IT and Sports, Fisheries, and Environment, have also gone to the BJP. The JDU retains Social Welfare, Rural Works, Education, Energy, and Water Resources. Smaller allies have been accommodated with Sugarcane, Public Health Engineering, Minor Water Resources, and Panchayati Raj departments. The Home Ministry handover underscores the BJP’s growing dominance in the alliance.