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Patna: The resignations of eight ministers of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were accepted a few hours ahead of a scheduled expansion of the council of ministers on Sunday , official sources said.
Official sources said Nitish Kumar had asked his ministerial colleagues on Saturday night to submit their resignations.
"All the ministers submitted their resignations on Sunday [yesterday] and Governor R.S. Gavai accepted the resignations of eight of them with immediate effect," an official said on Sunday.
Much-awaited
The eight who may lose ministerial berths include Rural Development Minister Vaidyanath Mahto, Building Construction & Housing Minister Monajir Hasan, Welfare Minister Rameshwar Paswan, State Minister for Food, Supply and Commerce Suchitra Devi, State Minister for Information and Public Relations Arjun Rai, State Minister for Transport Ajit Kumar, and State minister for Minority Welfare Manzar Alam.
The much-awaited expansion, the first after the NDA government came to power in November 2005, is likely to see the induction of new faces and a reshuffle of portfolios.
According to official sources in the chief minister's office, in a surprise development, the expansion took place at 6.50 pm on Sunday.
"The new faces will be sworn in as ministers by the governor in a simple ceremony," an official said.
Till Sunday morning, it was said that expansion was possible only tomorrow or Wednesday.
Urban Development Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey was the first to resign on Saturday night followed by half a dozen ministers. The other ministers submitted their resignations yesterday.
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