Bharatiya Janata Party leader Samrat Choudhary took oath as the new Chief Minister of Bihar, replacing Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United). With this move, he becomes the first BJP leader to hold the top post in the state.
The Bihar Chief Minister change comes after Nitish Kumar resigned from office earlier this week. Soon after his resignation, the BJP elected Choudhary as its legislative leader and also named him the leader of the National Democratic Alliance in the state.
Senior JD(U) leaders Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary took oath as deputy chief ministers in the new government, signalling continuity in the alliance setup.
Nitish Kumar Resignation and Rajya Sabha Move
The Nitish Kumar resignation follows his recent entry into the Rajya Sabha. He was elected to the Upper House on March 16 and took oath as a Member of Parliament soon after. Kumar, one of Bihar’s longest-serving chief ministers, has held office for nearly two decades across multiple terms.
In the November Bihar Assembly elections, JD(U) improved its performance, winning 85 seats—almost double its tally of 43 in the 2020 polls.
While announcing his candidature for the Rajya Sabha earlier, Kumar said he had aimed to serve in all four legislative roles at both state and national levels—as a member of the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, and both Houses of Parliament, including the Lok Sabha.
Samrat Choudhary Political Journey
The Samrat Choudhary political career spans over three decades. He began his political journey in the 1990s with the Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Prasad Yadav. In 1999, he became a minister in the state government headed by Rabri Devi.
In 2000, Choudhary won the Parbatta Assembly seat as an RJD candidate and later rose to become the party’s chief whip in 2010. His political trajectory shifted in 2017 when he joined the BJP.
He later became Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council in 2022. In 2024, when Nitish Kumar returned to the BJP-led NDA, Choudhary was appointed Deputy Chief Minister.
With his elevation now, the Bihar Chief Minister change marks a significant political shift in the state, with the BJP taking direct leadership while maintaining its alliance framework.
