India, Nov. 22 -- Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday relinquished control of the crucial home portfolio for the first time in 20 years as his deputy and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Samrat Choudhary was assigned the ministry that oversees law and order, a key issue that propelled the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to victory in the recent state polls.

The announcement of portfolios came a day after Kumar, his two deputies Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were sworn in. Twenty-four other ministers - eight from the Janata Dal (United), 12 from the BJP, two from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and one each from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha -...