NEW DELHI: Samrat Choudhary has been chosen as Bihar’s new chief minister, becoming the first BJP leader to assume the post in the state after Nitish Kumar stepped down to move to the Rajya Sabha. His elevation marks a landmark political transition in Bihar, where Nitish Kumar had remained the dominant face of governance for more than two decades.Choudhary on Tuesday was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party in Bihar, paving the way for his elevation.
“A meeting of the NDA legislative party will be held soon. Samrat Choudhary’s will be formally announced during this meeting, and he will assume the office of chief minister,” said Bihar minister Dilip Jaiswal after Samrat Choudhary was unanimously elected leader of the Bihar BJP legislative party. Speculation over Samrat’s succession had intensified after Nitish Kumar was nominated by his party, the JD(U), for Rajya Sabha and was sworn in as the Upper House member on April 10.At 57, Choudhary has steadily risen through Bihar’s political ranks and is regarded as one of the BJP’s strongest organisational figures in the state. He currently holds the Home portfolio and has played a central role in the NDA government, often representing the BJP alongside Nitish Kumar at major official and political events.Born into a political family, Choudhary is the son of veteran leader Shakuni Choudhary, a former Army man who later became an influential politician in Bihar. Like his father, Samrat Choudhary’s political journey has crossed multiple party lines. Over the years, he has been associated with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United) before joining the BJP in 2017, a move that significantly propelled his career trajectory.
Samrat’s rise in the BJP
Since entering the BJP, his rise has been rapid. In 2023, he was appointed president of the party’s Bihar unit, consolidating his position as a key strategist and mass leader. He later became deputy chief minister and retained the role in the NDA government formed after the 2025 assembly elections, winning from the Tarapur constituency in Munger district.
An OBC face
Choudhary is also seen as an important OBC face for the BJP, representing the Koeri-Kushwaha community, which holds notable electoral influence in Bihar. His caste appeal, combined with his aggressive political style, has made him central to the BJP’s expansion strategy in the state.Before the BJP and JD(U) renewed their alliance in 2024, Choudhary had been one of Nitish Kumar’s sharpest critics. In 2022, he had publicly declared he would not remove his saffron turban (popularly known as muretha in Bihar) until Nitish Kumar was removed from power.That symbolic pledge ended dramatically in July 2024, when after the NDA alliance returned to office, he visited Ayodhya, offered the turban to Lord Rama, shaved his head, and took a ritual dip in the Saryu river.In recent years, the BJP leadership has increasingly projected Choudhary as the party’s principal face in Bihar. During the 2025 Assembly campaign, he remained at the forefront of the BJP’s outreach efforts, and his deployment in other politically significant states, including West Bengal, further reinforced perceptions that the party was preparing him for a larger leadership role.With his appointment now confirmed, Samrat Choudhary takes charge at a moment of transition in Bihar politics, tasked with leading the BJP into a new era after Nitish Kumar’s long and defining chapter.
