Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Tuesday reiterated his remark on cabinet expansion in Bihar and said it is likely to happen soon. Coordination committee is must for smooth functioning of grand alliance (GA), he said.
His comments came amid the statement from deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav who ruled out such a move.
According to Tejashwi, his party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) never demanded more Cabinet berths and there was no discussion on it in the grand alliance (GA).
Also Read: ‘Never demanded’: Tejashwi rules out speculations about Bihar Cabinet expansion
Singh however stressed the need for a coordination committee for the smooth functioning of the ‘mahagathbandhan’ saying that cabinet expansion is the prerogative of the chief minister Nitish Kumar and it’s immaterial what other than the CM says on it.
Speaking to media persons at the residence of senior Congress leader Anil Tiwari at Bhabhua on Tuesday, Singh said that the cabinet expansion would take place soon with the induction of some new ministers.
Speaking on the formation of a coordination committee in the grand alliance, Singh declared it the first requisite for running the government smoothly. “Without a coordination committee, the mahagathbandhan can’t achieve the objective for what it was formed,” he said, adding that the prime goal of mahagathbandhan is to ensure the defeat of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024.
When asked about the Congress playing second fiddle in the mahagathbandhan and the government, he said the Congress party has a history of about 150 years and its root is very deep and can’t be uprooted.
Also Read: Nitish asks Cong to talk to Tejashwi for cabinet expansion
Earlier, Singh had claimed that the party was aspiring to get two berths in the cabinet as per its standing in the assembly and the CM had agreed to accommodate it during the next round of cabinet expansion after the conclusion of Samadhan Yatra.
Meanwhile, chief minister Kumar on Saturday said Congress leaders met him regarding the cabinet expansion and he had told them to talk to Tejashwi for that.