NEW DELHI: Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday retained key portfolios, including general administration, home, cabinet secretariat, vigilance and civil aviation, as the Bihar Cabinet portfolios were allocated following the formation of the new government. Departments that have not been assigned to any minister will also remain under the chief minister. Former CM Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant will head the state health department.Deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary was given the water resources and parliamentary affairs departments, while deputy chief minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav received the finance portfolio. Senior leader Vijay Kumar Sinha has been assigned the agriculture department. The cabinet expansion took place at Gandhi Maidan in Patna in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh.Leaders from the Janata Dal (United), Bharatiya Janata Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha were inducted into the cabinet as part of the NDA’s first major reshuffle after its sweeping victory in the Bihar assembly elections.
