Bihar Election 2025: Patna glitters with power and wealth. Behind the walls of the Old Secretariat, Nitish Kumar’s fourth term as chief minister took shape. His cabinet blends power, wealth and legacy. On paper, it promises stability, reforms and development. In reality, it is a gallery of dynasts, millionaires and men who wield muscle and influence.
Among 37 ministers, 28 are contesting elections this year. Affidavits filed with the Election Commission (EC) reveal that most of them are crorepatis, with assets ranging from a few crores to over Rs 11 crore. Only two ministers – Nitin Nabin Sinha (BJP’s Bankipur MLA) and Surendra Mehta (BJP legislator from Begusarai) – declare assets under Rs 1 crore.
Together, they control more than Rs 400 crore in declared wealth. Luxury SUVs, family-run construction firms, farmlands spread across districts and political empires guarded by loyalty rather than ideology define them.
A man who once rode the wave of reform, Nitish now presides over a cabinet richer than any in the state’s history. His own declaration is modest, Rs 3.07 crore in total assets, including ancestral property, savings and a few vehicles. But the chief minister with the smallest fortune sits atop a team of crorepatis. By comparison, many of his ministers are far wealthier than him, showing how power and money often go hand-in-hand.
The Janata Dal (United) patriarch has perfected the art of survival, switching sides, soothing tempers and recalibrating alliances. His ministers may own empires, but Nitish controls the story. Every appointment reflects carefully negotiated loyalty.
The Twin Thrones
This time, Nitish shares the spotlight with two men from his coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, the twin deputy chief ministers.
Once known for his flamboyant waistcoats and sharp tongue, Samrat Choudhary declared assets worth Rs 12.04 crore. His wealth is spread across urban real estate, bank deposits and family properties.
His immovable property alone is worth Rs 9.29 crore. He holds gold worth Rs 20 lakh, 500 grams of silver and vehicles including a Rs 7 lakh Bolero. Firearms include a rifle worth Rs 4 lakh and a revolver valued at Rs 2 lakh. His wife Mamta’s assets total Rs 1.36 crore, including gold and silver worth over Rs 20.75 lakh.
But more than his balance sheet, it is his caste arithmetic that counts: a deliberate choice to anchor the BJP’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) strategy in a state where social equations decide destinies.
His counterpart Vijay Kumar Sinha is not far behind. With Rs 8.61 crore in assets, the soft-spoken BJP leader from Lakhisarai presents himself as a loyal soldier of his party. His political rise mirrors the BJP’s strategy of old-school, disciplined, but hungry for the top seat.
Sinha declares total assets of Rs 8.61 crore, including movable property of Rs 1.01 crore and immovable property worth Rs 3.20 crore. His wife owns Rs 7.4 crore between movable and immovable property. Gold holdings are significant: 90 grams for Sinha and 450 grams for his wife. Vehicles include a Rs 29.94 lakh Mahindra XUV 700, plus family cars. He owns two firearms – a rifle and revolver together worth Rs 77,181. The couple owe declared loans total over Rs 22.5 lakh.
The two leaders serve as a link between Nitish and the BJP, a bridge built on mutual suspicion but bound by political needs.
The Richest Of The Cabinet
Neeraj Kumar Singh, minister of public health engineering and a relative of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, tops the Bihar cabinet’s wealth list with declared assets of Rs 11.97 crore. His movable property accounts for Rs 2.50 crore and immovable property Rs 9.47 crore, while his wife, Nutan Singh, owns Rs 7.42 crore.
Gold and silver holdings include 284 grams of gold valued at Rs 30 lakh and 1.52 kg of silver worth Rs 2 lakh. Vehicles include a Rs 12.5 lakh Fortuner, with firearms adding another Rs 8.47 lakh. The couple carries loans totalling Rs 2.42 crore.
Other key ministers follow similar patterns.
Minister of Co-operative Department Prem Kumar, a BJP legislator from Gayaji constituency, declares Rs 3.16 crore, with 120 grams of gold, 4 kg silver, a Tata Safari worth Rs 8.36 lakh and firearms valued at Rs 10 lakh.
BJP leader and Minister for Animal and Fisheries Resources Renu Devi, who is an MLA from Bettiah, holds Rs 5.37 crore in assets, including 510 grams of gold, vehicles like Innova and Scorpio and minor loans of Rs 5.46 lakh.
BJP’s Mangal Pandey, Bihar’s health minister, owns Rs 2.34 crore, gold and silver worth over Rs 11 lakh, a Tata Safari and carries loans of Rs 42 lakh while facing three criminal cases.
Minister of Environment and Forest Dr. Sunil Kumar, a BJP leader and legislator from Biharsharif, boasts Rs 17.5 crore in declared wealth. He has gold holdings of 400 grams and owns an Innova worth Rs 21 lakh. He faces six criminal cases. His annual income jumped six-fold in just one year, reflecting the intersection of politics and personal finance.
Other ministers reflect a similar pattern of wealth and influence.
Jibesh Kumar Mishra, BJP MLA from Jale and minister of Urban Development & Housing, declares assets of Rs 2.06 crore.
Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Sanjay Saraogi, BJP MLA from Darbhanga, holds Rs 5.11 crore.
Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin Sinha reports under Rs 1 crore, while his wife owns Rs 2.13 crore.
Public Health Engineering Minister Neeraj Kumar Singh alias Bablu tops the list with Rs 11.97 crore.
Patterns And Insights
The cabinet is a mix of wealth, influence and electoral muscle. Across the council of ministers, declared wealth ranges from Rs 69 lakh to Rs 7 crore. Some ministers’ declared wealth has skyrocketed over the past five years, highlighting how politics and personal finance often run hand in hand.
Gold, vehicles and firearms are standard features; liabilities range widely. Several ministers face criminal cases, ranging from one to ten.
Nitish’s team reflects the structure of Bihar’s power economy. Each affidavit offers a glimpse into ambitions, alliances and spheres of influence. The electoral success in the state is shaped by assets, networks and the reach of political muscle.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
