Following the formation of the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar, Mangal Pandey of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been re-appointed as the state's Health Minister. The portfolio allocation, announced on Friday, sees Mr. Pandey retaining the crucial Health Department, a role he has previously held.
In addition to the Health Department, Mr. Pandey has also been entrusted with the Law Department portfolio.
A senior leader of the BJP, Mr. Pandey's re-induction into the cabinet and retention of the health portfolio underscores the government's focus on healthcare infrastructure and policy in the state. The announcement was part of a broader allocation of portfolios a day after the swearing-in ceremony of CM Nitish Kumar for a record tenth time, along with other NDA ministers.
Mangal Pandey is a senior politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar. His career started young, joining the ABVP (the student wing of the RSS) in 1987 and the BJP in 1989.
He rose through the party ranks, serving as the State President of the BJP in Bihar from 2013 to 2017. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Bihar Legislative Council.
Crucially, he has served as the state's Health Minister before, notably starting in 2017. His reappointment to this position shows he is a key and trusted figure in the current NDA government. He has also been given important party responsibilities outside Bihar, like being the BJP in-charge for elections in Himachal Pradesh.
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