Patna, April 15: There is an “revolt-like” situation in BJP following the exclusion of “performing” health minister Chandramohan Rai from the Nitish Kumar- led NDA government.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar replaced Rai by another Bhumihar, Giriraj Singh, who is known more as a “rabble rouser” in the state’s political circles. The exclusion of Rai and inclusion Singh has raised questions, of which there seem very few answers.

Singh has replaced Rai in BJP’s Bhumihar quota of NDA ministers, though the former got a different portfolio. Singh is co-operative minister, while BJP’s Nandkishore Yadav has been made the new health minister.

A reasonably calm Rai went to the extent of saying: “The party (BJP) is sinking in Bihar because of one person and his own interest.” Rai’s remark was explicitly directed towards deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who in consultation with Nitish Kumar, decides on the BJP quota of ministers.

“Let Sushil Kumar Modi explain what is my fault,” he added.

What has irked Rai supporters is the fact that Nitish Kumar has been all praises for Rai in the two-and-a-half-years of his tenure. The improvement in the health sector had been an important highlight of government “report cards” that Nitish Kumar had been issuing every year.

Even the state’s people have been mentioning the improvement in the district hospitals and of doctors attending primary health centres regularly in rural areas in all constituencies that went for the bypoll since Nitish Kumar took over.