Union ministers from Bihar escape `hit list’

Law Kumar Mishra

Patna: Apprehensions of a couple of union ministers from Bihar of getting dropped from Narendra Modi government proved wrong as there was neither exclusion nor inclusion from the state on Tuesday when Modi expanded his cabinet.” All ministers from Bihar are safe” was communicated to the state BJP office on Tuesday afternoon ending anxious moments in the party office.
Names of two union ministers of state: Giriraj Singh and Upendra Kushwaha, were in circulation in the national news channels as ministers within the firing range of the PM.Six ministers of state from Rajasthan, Gujarat and UP were asked to submit their papers to the PM. One of the dropped ministers, who was notorious for his controversial comments against minority admitted ” I have learnt a lesson”, when he has infomred about the PM’s decision to drop him from his union cabinet.
Giriraj Singh, MP from Nawada and minister of state, is known for his controversial statements against minority since the Lok Sabha election campaign and was even banned from campaigning after the second phase by the Election Commission. His supporters were apprehensive of his removal from the cabinet. RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha ,junior minister with HRD minister Smriti Irani, also escaped the hit list.
The decision of the PM not to drop any minister representing Bihar proved all the ministers from the state are performers and they deserved to be retained .
Upendra Kushwaha representing Karakat on Bihar-UP border will be influential in motivating the Kushwaha electorates in neighbouring UP which goes to polls early next year. Presence of Giriraj Singh in the union cabinet and his campaign in eastern UP constitutencies having sizable Bhumihar electrates will also help the BJP in attracting caste electorates to BJP, claim party leaders here..