Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar allotted the portfolios to his eight ministers sworn in so far on Saturday while retaining the all-important home department.

It set to rest all speculations about his authority being under pressure from the BJP in the newly formed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state.

Though the portfolio distribution gave a clear insight about the departments that would be with the BJP even after the cabinet is expanded, it also indicated that Nitish was still wary of the party because he gave the education department to his trusted aide and Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary.

“The chief minister has always been wary of allowing the education department into the hands of the BJP – RSS school of thought and the way it could be used to influence young, impressionable minds,” a senior JDU leader told The Telegraph.

The education department was with the RJD in the Grand Alliance government.

Apart from the home department, which includes police and state intelligence apparatus, Nitish has kept with him the general administration department that oversees the entire administrative mechanism, including IAS officers.

The chief minister also has the cabinet secretariat, vigilance, election and all other departments that have not been allotted to anybody else.

Independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh has been given science, technology and technical education department.