Technically speaking the post of deputy chief minister or deputy prime minister does not hold any special significance in India. Therefore, not all the PMs and CMs have appointed their deputy.

Usually the senior most minister is appointed as the deputy PM or CM and holds important portfolio(s).

For example, Saradar Vallabh Bhai Patel, who held the portfolio of home, was the first deputy PM of the country while Lal Krishna Advani, who too had the home portfolio with him, was the seventh and the last deputy PM of India.

In the same way Anugrah Narayan Singh, the first deputy chief minister of Bihar, used to hold the portfolio of finance so did Sushil Kumar Modi, the third incumbent to this post.

But Tejaswi Prasad Yadav, the fourth deputy chief minister of Bihar does not have home or finance portfolio with him. While the home portfolio is with chief minister Nitish Kumar himself, the all important finance portfolio is in the hands of a very seasoned RJD leader, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who was earlier likely to be made the deputy CM.

Thus the post of deputy chief minister is more a decorative one and has less to do with any constitutional power. Actually, Tejaswi’s power would be confined to the portfolios he held, that is, Road Construction Department and Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare Department.

In that way his elder brother, Tej Pratap, has not got bad portfolios. He holds Health, Minor Irrigation, Environment and Forest.

Media reports suggest that there was tussle within the Lalu-Rabri family over the issue of deputy CM and that even the eldest daughter, Misa Bharati, staked her claim. Reports also said that Nitish Kumar had to intervene and pacify the matter.

By making Tejaswi the deputy CM no extra power has been given to him so far running the departments are concerned.

The tiff is more over the post of the legislative party leader of the biggest party, RJD, which actually Tejaswi is and not just the post of deputy chief minister. In that way Tejaswi and not Misa or Tej Pratap is the actual successor of Lalu. This caused uneasiness within the family as Tejaswi is youngest of all.

No doubt the two brothers would be working under the guidance of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav, but the fact is that the two most important portfolios of home and finance are with the chief minister and Siddiqui.