Samrat Choudhary takes oath as Bihar chief minister, BJP leads state for first time

BJP leader Samrat Choudhary was sworn in as the chief minister of Bihar on Wednesday, becoming the first leader from the saffron party to hold the post. Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) administered the oath of office and secrecy to Choudhary.

Top leaders of the ruling NDA in Bihar, comprising the BJP, JD(U) and three other parties, attended the ceremony. Those present included Union Ministers J P Nadda and Chirag Paswan, Nitish Kumar, and all NDA MLAs.

Nitish Kumar, now a Rajya Sabha MP, relinquished the chief minister’s post on Tuesday, dissolving his cabinet. In the outgoing government, Choudhary had served as deputy chief minister and held the home portfolio.

Choudhary, who joined the BJP in 2017, was named the legislative party leader on Tuesday in the presence of senior leaders including BJP chief Nitin Nabin and Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had been appointed as the “central observer” by the party’s parliamentary board for the transition.

He was elected leader of the BJP’s legislative wing on Tuesday. The party is the single largest in the 243-member Assembly with 89 MLAs.

His elevation carries caste significance in Bihar’s political landscape. Choudhary becomes only the second leader from the Koeri community to hold the chief minister’s post. The first was Satish Prasad Singh, whose tenure in 1968 lasted five days after his coalition government collapsed when Congress withdrew support.

Choudhary also joins Bharat Ratna awardee Karpoori Thakur among the few leaders in Bihar to have held both the posts of deputy chief minister and chief minister. Thakur had served as deputy chief minister in 1967 before becoming chief minister in 1970.

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The 57-year-old leader’s political journey spans nearly three decades. He first came into prominence in 1999 when he was inducted into the cabinet of RJD’s Rabri Devi. His appointment followed his parents’ switch from the Samata Party to the RJD.

However, his tenure ended after a complaint regarding his age led Governor Suraj Bhan to remove him from the post.

He returned in 2000, won an election, completed a full term, and later became the RJD chief whip. In 2014, he briefly served under Jitan Ram Manjhi before leaving after Nitish Kumar returned.

His move to the BJP in 2017 marked a turning point. Backed by support from the Koeri OBC base, he rose within the party from state vice president to state chief and became a key political figure in Bihar.

Once a critic of Nitish Kumar, Choudhary later emerged as a key ally in the NDA. His earlier public vow to remove his trademark turban only after unseating Kumar is now seen as a political milestone.

He was appointed deputy chief minister in 2024 and held the home portfolio. His victory from Tarapur and support from Amit Shah strengthened his position in Bihar, where the BJP had not previously led a government.

Nitish Kumar’s resignation marks the end of a long political phase in Bihar. A ten-time chief minister since first taking office in 2005, the 75-year-old stepped down on April 14.

Known as “Sushasan Babu,” Kumar built support among Extremely Backward Classes and other marginalised groups, while implementing governance measures and welfare initiatives.