Bihar Cabinet expansion | 72% of Ministers face criminal cases: ADR

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also have cases registered against them

More than 70% of the newly sworn-in Ministers in Bihar have declared criminal cases against themselves, the poll rights body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also have cases registered against them.

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Mr. Kumar, who recently severed ties with the BJP and joined hands with the RJD to form the government in Bihar, expanded his new Cabinet on Tuesday by inducting 31 new ministers. Mr. Kumar and Deputy CM Yadav had been sworn in earlier on August 10.

Consequent to the reconstitution of the Bihar Council of Ministers, the Association for Democratic Reforms and the Bihar Election Watch have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 32 out of 33 ministers, including the Chief Minister, submitted during the 2020 Assembly polls.

One Cabinet Minister, Ashok Chaudhary of JD(U), who is a nominated member of the Legislative Council, is not required to submit his affidavit, hence his information on criminal, financial and other details are not available in the public domain, the ADR said in its report.

According to the report, 23 ministers (72%) have declared criminal cases against themselves and 17 ministers (53%) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.