Patna, Nov. 11: The three new Union ministers from Bihar are expected to receive a rousing welcome in Patna when they arrive after being sworn in on November 14.

“We will take out a procession right from Patna airport,” said a senior BJP leader. The party, undaunted by criticism from the RJD, the JDU and the Congress on Bihar ministers being given “junior and insignificant” portfolios are going to flaunt the ministers who represent three castes which play key roles in any election in the state.

The trio — Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Ram Kripal Yadav and Giriraj Singh — took charge of their offices on Tuesday. While Rudy holds independent charge of skill development department (a department still in its formative stage), Ram Kripal Yadav and Giriraj Singh took charge in presence of their cabinet ministers Choudhary Birendar Singh and Kalraj Mishra respectively.

“We are going to fulfil the expectations and responsibility given to us by the honourbale PM,” declared Yadav after taking charge. The ministers of state had reasons to be happy as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked his cabinet ministers to work “with their respective ministers of state”.

“The three new ministers will be welcomed by BJP workers at Patna airport and then we have planned their felicitation at our office,” said state BJP president Mangal Pandey.

However, the show of strength by Union ministers from Bihar is expected to be held in Barh where Union energy minister Piyush Goel is expected to inaugurate commercial production of the much-awaited super thermal power. All the three BJP ministers and even other Union ministers hailing from the state will be present on the occasion-in an effort to drive home the message that development of Bihar is possible only when the BJP is in power.

The Barh Super Thermal Plant saw the light of day because of the initiative of Nitish Kumar, who was then a Union minister in the Vajpayee government and Suresh Prabhu was the energy minister. The foundation of the plant was laid by then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. There are rumblings in the JDU that BJP was “hijacking” the credit for inaugurating the power project, which would imply increased availability of power for the state.

Some BJP leaders, however, dismissed it. “It’s a central ministry function. Bihar government ministers will also be present. The only thing is that there would be more central ministers,” remarked Pandey. According to sources in the BJP, a few ongoing central projects may be speeded up for NDA ministers to inaugurate before the next year Assembly elections are announced.