Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance wins trust vote in Bihar Assembly

New Delhi [India], August 24 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance government has won the trust vote in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
The political scenario in the state has changed since Nitish Kumar broke the alliance with BJP and staked a claim to form a government with RJD earlier this month.
Kumar was sworn in as Chief Minister for a record eighth time on August 10 and expanded his cabinet a week after breaking his alliance with BJP.
A total of 31 ministers were inducted into the Bihar cabinet from various parties that are part of the Mahagathbandhan or the Grand Alliance in the state.
On August 16, the new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan at Raj Bhavan.
The RJD got 16 ministerial berths while the Janata Dal (United) got 11.
From RJD, Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav's brother Tej Pratap Yadav, Samir Kumar Mahaseth, Chandrashekhar, Kumar Sarvajeet, Lalit Yadav, Surendra Prasad Yadav, Ramanand Yadav, Jitendra Kumar Rai, Anita Devi and Sudhakar Singh and Alok Mehta took the oath.
Congress legislators Afaque Alam and Murari Lal Gautam were inducted into the cabinet as ministers, while Hindustani Awam Morcha's Santosh Suman was also sworn in.
The Bihar cabinet can have up to 36 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Some ministerial berths will be kept vacant for future cabinet expansion, sources said.
Nitish Kumar had broken away from the BJP and formed a government with the RJD and other parties earlier this month. The Chief Minister and his deputy - RJD's Tejashwi Yadav - took oath on August 10.
The Bihar Grand Alliance has a combined strength of 163. Its effective strength climbed to 164 after Independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh extended support to Nitish Kumar. (ANI)