BJP's Dilip Jaiswal resigns as Bihar cabinet minister, retains party's state president post
Patna (The Uttam Hindu): BJP Bihar president Dilip Jaiswal announced on Wednesday that he has resigned as Revenue and Land Reforms Minister from the Nitish Kumar government.
Adhering to BJP's 'one person, one post policy', Jaiswal, who was appointed BJP state president, said that holding both positions goes against party principles.
"BJP has a policy of one person one post and hence I resigned from the post of cabinet minister but will continue to lead the BJP in Bihar as a state president," Jaiswal told IANS in Patna.
While sharing his achievements as Revenue and Land Reforms Minister, he pointed out the digitisation of 14 crore pages of his department on government records.
"I introduced major reforms in land administration and prioritised transparency and efficiency in governance. People would remember me for my honesty," Jaiswal said.
"I also ended the corruption in the department and people would credit me for this," Jaiswal said.
When asked about the cabinet expansion of the Nitish Kumar government, Jaiswal avoided direct comments, saying that the decision rests with the Chief Minister.
"It is a special privilege of the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and he would decide when the cabinet expansion would take place in Bihar," Jaiswal said.
Earlier in the day, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary met Nitish Kumar to discuss the cabinet expansion.
Jaiswal confirmed the meeting of Choudhary and Nitish Kumar in the CM's residence.
"We are also meeting with Samrat Choudhary at his residence in Patna to discuss some of the issues," Jaiswal said.
Bihar has a 243-member Assembly that allows a maximum of 36 ministers. Currently, 30 ministers serve in the Nitish Kumar government.
A cabinet expansion could see six new ministers being inducted. While BJP leaders remain tight-lipped, the political landscape in Bihar is set for major developments in the coming days.
Jaiswal emphasised that his resignation is in line with BJP's commitment to internal discipline and assured that he will focus on strengthening the party ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections.
