Patna: To maintain his tight grip on power in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar depends on a select few, highly trusted IAS officers and senior political associates. This 'core team' shapes the government's policies behind the scenes, works out political equations and becomes the last security blanket for the Chief Minister in times of crisis. There are 6 influential faces who run the power machine of Nitish Kumar's rule.
Retired 1984 batch IAS officer Deepak Kumar heads the Chief Minister's 'core team'. Since his retirement from the post of Chief Secretary in 2021, he has been working as the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. His advice is mandatory in every major policy decision of Nitish Kumar. In government circles, they are called the 'ears of the Chief Minister', who are both the eyes and ears of his administration.
Janata Dal United (JDU) national working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha is the Chief Minister's closest political adviser. Jha, who was previously in BJP, had written the entire script of Nitish Kumar's return to NDA in January 2024. Former colleague R.C.P. Since Singh's expulsion, he has emerged as Nitish Kumar's biggest political troubleshooter and handles the internal communication of the alliance.
Praty Amrit, a 1991 batch IAS officer, has recently (in September 2025) taken over as Chief Secretary. Although he is new to the CM's core team, he has been Nitish Kumar's favorite bureaucrat for the last 17 years. He has an excellent record in key departments like road construction, energy and health. He is known as the main pillar in successfully implementing complex and big projects.
Senior minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary is an important political face who has easy access to the chief minister. He comes from Bhumihar community (upper caste) and came to JDU from Congress. Chaudhary, who has served as the Assembly Speaker, currently handles important departments like water resources. His administrative and political experience makes him a reliable political troubleshooter for the Chief Minister.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) is one of the old and unwavering allies of Nitish Kumar, who has been associated with him since the days of JP movement. Although he is in the Central Government, he meets the Chief Minister regularly whenever he is in Patna. His experience and political stature play an important role in keeping the political equations balanced for the Chief Minister.
Former Patna DM Kumar Ravi is currently serving as Secretary to the Chief Minister. He is constantly present at the Chief Minister's residence along with Deepak Kumar and Anupam Kumar. Ravi's main job is to organize the program details of the Chief Minister, introduce the visitors to the CM and give them small information about the upcoming works. He acts as the primary channel of information reaching the Chief Minister.
Media Interface: Apart from these six key faces, Anupam Kumar, Principal Secretary, Information and Public Relations Department, acts as the media interface of the government.
