Patna: A new government has emerged in Bihar, with Nitish Kumar taking the oath as chief minister for a record tenth time and 26 ministers being sworn in during a grand ceremony at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. The BJP received fourteen ministerial positions, the JD(U) eight, the LJP (Ram Vilas) two, and one each for HAM (S) and the RLM. Among the returning ministers from the BJP were well-known figures such as Samrat Chaudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and Mangal Pandey. However, the notable absence of Nitish Mishra, the BJP MLA and outgoing Industries Minister, has overshadowed the new cabinet. His exclusion has sparked online discussions and raised challenging questions about the distribution of power within Bihar’s ruling coalition.
Mishra, who won his seat with a significant margin of nearly 55,000 votes, was considered one of the more proactive ministers in the previous government. His removal triggered immediate backlash on social media, with a popular Bihar-focused account on X remarking: “Name: Nitish Mishra. Crime: Being the most educated among illiterate people.” Another account that monitors tourism and public affairs in the state questioned, “He performed well as Industries Minister — so why is he absent from the cabinet?” Many expressed disappointment at Mishra’s omission, highlighting his commendable tenure and the need for leaders like him to foster investment and growth in Bihar. This discontent further manifested in a hashtag-driven campaign that propelled Mishra’s name into national trends.
The Voice of Kosi tweeted: “It’s Nitish Mishra’s contributions that he’s trending on X without even being a minister.” Mishra is not unfamiliar with governance, having held various portfolios in the state cabinet from 2005 to 2015, including rural development, social welfare, disaster management, and sugarcane industries. He also served as vice-president of the BJP’s Bihar unit. His academic credentials, notably more impressive than those of many of his peers, include an MBA from institutions in India and the Netherlands, a postgraduate diploma in global political economy from the University of Hull, and an executive program at Harvard Kennedy School.
As Industries Minister in the 2024–25 term, Mishra was acknowledged for expediting policy reforms aimed at establishing Bihar as an investment hub. Under his leadership, the department advanced the New Industrial Policy, the Startup Bihar Policy, the Chief Minister’s Entrepreneur Scheme, a logistics vision, and plans for integrated manufacturing clusters — all designed as foundational elements for a “self-reliant Bihar.” Officials within the department indicate that the groundwork laid over the past year was intended to enhance local manufacturing and attract private investment in a historically under-industrialized state. Yet, despite this record, the BJP’s senior leadership seems to have chosen a different internal balance.
While the party has acknowledged several loyalists and reinstated many familiar faces in the cabinet, Mishra’s exclusion stands out as a point of contention, igniting speculation about internal party dynamics — and whether technocratic governance is yielding to political signaling.