Patna (Bihar)

JDU leader Nishant Kumar on Friday took charge as Bihar's new Health Minister and said he would work with honesty and sincerity to improve healthcare facilities in the state.

Speaking to reporters after assuming office, Nishant Kumar said he would try to fulfil his responsibilities with dedication.

"I will try to fulfil my responsibility with complete truthfulness and honesty. I will try to provide better health facilities," he said.

Earlier, JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha on Friday also reacted to the induction of JD(U) leader Nishant Kumar, son of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"Nitish Kumar didn't bring him (his son Nishant Kumar into politics) for twenty-one years. When he himself left the post of Chief Minister, people in the party felt he was needed, so he joined the party and started working. But as long as he was Chief Minister of Bihar, I don't think the people of Bihar even knew Nishant ji properly."

On Nishant Kumar getting the Health department, he said, "I believe that under his leadership, there will be good work in the health department. This is such a large state with such a large population, and excellent work will be done."

Earlier on Thursday, the Bihar government witnessed a major cabinet expansion as 32 ministers, including senior leaders and first-time entrants, were inducted into the Council of Ministers at a grand ceremony held at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

The expansion comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formed the government in Bihar, with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary strengthening the administrative structure following a decisive electoral mandate.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National President Nitin Nabin and several senior NDA leaders, marking a major political show of strength by the ruling alliance.

As part of the expansion, leaders from the BJP (15), Janata Dal (United) (13), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (2), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (1) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (1) were inducted into the Council of Ministers.

The BJP ministers who took oath include Ram Kripal Yadav, Kedar Gupta, Nitish Mishra, Mithlesh Tiwari, Rama Nishad, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Dilip Jaiswal, Pramod Chandravanshi, Lakhvinder Paswan, Sanjay Singh (Tiger), Engineer Kumar Shailendra, Nand Kishore Ram, Ramchandra Prasad, Arun Shankar Prasad and Shreyasi Singh.

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The JD(U) ministers who took oath include Nishant Kumar, Shravan Kumar, Madan Sahni, Lesi Singh, Shweta Gupta, Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha, Damodar Rawat and Bulo Mandal.