Bihar Cong MLA writes to Sonia, seeks cabinet berth in Nitish ministry

The return of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) to power in Bihar seems to have set personal ambitions soaring in the Congress, which had been down in the dumps.

Chhatrapati Yadav, the MLA from Khagaria Sadar, has shot off a letter to Congress high command, demanding that he be considered, by virtue of his caste, for a berth in the new cabinet headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"I have written a letter to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, formally requesting them to consider me since my induction into the cabinet will send a strong message among the Other Backward Classes, particularly the Yadavs. I am the only Yadav MLA from the party in Bihar," he told reporters.

Yadav said he has also cited in the letter his pedigree.

“My late father Rajendra Prasad Yadav had served in the cabinet headed by three chief ministers, Bindeshwari Dubey, Bhagwat Jha Azad and Jagannath Mishra,” he said.

With the Left parties, which together have 16 MLAs, deciding to support the government from outside, the 19-strong Congress is expected to get four ministerial berths, according to sources in the new ruling alliance.

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Madan Mohan Jha, however, maintained that “the number and the names are both decided by the high command. We are waiting to hear from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi”.

The cabinet, which at present comprises only the chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav as his deputy, is due for expansion early next week.