Bihar Vidhan Sabha
From Neeraj Kumar
Patna: In a bid to further strengthen the Janata Dal (United), Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has once again carried out a key organisational reshuffle within the party in the Bihar Assembly. Shravan Kumar has been appointed Chief Whip, while Vinod Narayan Jha has been named Deputy Chief Whip. In addition, eight MLAs have been given the responsibility of whips.
The Bihar Assembly Secretariat has issued a formal notification in this regard. Assembly Speaker Dr Prem Kumar has accorded recognition to all eight whips appointed by the Chief Minister. According to a letter issued by the in-charge Secretary of the Assembly Secretariat, Dr Khayati Singh, the recognised whips include Krishan Kumar Rishi (Banmankhi), Manjeet Kumar Singh (Barauli), Raju Tiwari (Govindpur), Sudhanshu Shekhar (Harlakhi), Kumar Shailendra (Bihpur), Ramvilas Kamat (Pipra), Arun Manjhi (Masaurhi) and Gayatri Devi (Parihar).
Following the Speaker’s approval of the Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip and the whips, the Assembly Secretariat has sent a notification along with a letter to the Parliamentary Affairs Department. The roles of the Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip and whips are considered crucial for the smooth conduct of Assembly proceedings.
After the nominations, the Assembly Secretariat has formally requested the Additional Chief Secretary of the Parliamentary Affairs Department to issue the necessary notifications under the Salary, Allowances and Pension Act, 2006. These formalities are expected to be completed shortly.
The appointments are being seen as strategically important for the ruling party in view of upcoming Assembly sessions. The whips will be responsible for ensuring the presence of MLAs in the House, enforcing adherence to the party line during voting, and carrying out other organisational duties.
As Chief Whip, Shravan Kumar is expected to play a key role in maintaining party discipline, ensuring mandatory attendance of MLAs during discussions on important Bills, and coordinating the government’s legislative business.
Shravan Kumar, the Rural Development Minister in the Nitish government, is considered close to the Chief Minister. He hails from Nalanda, the Chief Minister’s home district, and has been elected MLA from the Nalanda Assembly constituency for the seventh time. He has been winning from the seat continuously since 1995 and has over three decades of political experience. He has earlier also served as the JDU’s Chief Whip in the Assembly.
About the Author
