Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated Nitish Kumar on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar on June 20, 2025, and extended his best wishes to the newly inducted ministers. In a post on X, he had described the new council as “a wonderful team, with dedicated leaders who will take Bihar to new heights.”
However, an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch of the self‑sworn affidavits of 24 out of 27 ministers, including the Chief Minister, has revealed significant criminal and financial disclosures within the new cabinet.
According to the report, 11 ministers (46%) in the cabinet have criminal cases registered against them, while 9 ministers (38%) face serious criminal charges. The cabinet comprises leaders from four political parties—BJP, JD(U), Hindustani Avam Morcha (Secular), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).
Among the parties, the BJP—whose candidates form the largest share in the cabinet—has 13 ministers, of whom 6 (46%) have criminal cases and an equal number face serious criminal charges. JD(U) has 8 ministers, with 2 (25%) facing criminal cases and 1 (13%) named in serious criminal cases. The lone minister from Hindustani Avam Morcha (Secular) has both criminal and serious criminal cases pending, while both ministers from LJP (Ram Vilas) have criminal cases, with one also facing serious charges.
ADR defines serious criminal cases as those carrying a maximum punishment of five years or more, non‑bailable or cognizable offences, electoral offences, crimes causing loss to the exchequer, cases involving assault, murder, kidnapping, rape, offences listed under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, crimes under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and offences against women and children.
The financial profile of the cabinet reveals that 21 out of the 24 ministers analysed (88%) are crorepatis. The wealthiest among them is Rama Nishad from the Aurai constituency, who has declared assets worth Rs 31.86 crore. The minister with the lowest declared assets is Sanjay Kumar from Bakhri (SC), who has reported Rs 22.30 lakh.
The age distribution shows a cabinet dominated by senior leaders, with 19 ministers (79%) aged between 51 and 80 years, while 5 ministers (21%) fall in the 30–50 age group. The council includes three women ministers, accounting for 11% of the total.
Educationally, 8 ministers (33%) have declared qualifications between Class 10 and 12, while 15 ministers (63%) are graduates or hold higher degrees. One minister is a diploma holder.
