Samrat Choudhary’s rise reflects BJP’s long game in Bihar politics

PATNA: Samrat Choudhary will be the new chief minister of Bihar, heralding a new era by becoming the first BJP leader to hold the top post in the state and leading a govt, replacing JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, who had record 10 stints as CM over two decades.

“The caravan of Bihar's development will continue to advance. With the trust of all the esteemed leaders of the NDA, we will take Bihar's development, progress, and good governance to new heights with renewed energy,” Choudhary said in a post on X, after his election as NDA legislative party leader.



The BJP is the single largest party in the 243-member Bihar assembly with 89 MLAs, strengthening its claim to lead the next government.

Born in 1968 into a politically influential family, Choudhary has deep roots in Bihar politics. His father, Shakuni Choudhary, was a six-time MLA and former minister, while his mother, Parvati Devi, also served as an MLA from Tarapur.

Samrat Choudhary himself was elected MLA from Tarapur in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. Earlier, he represented the Parbatta constituency in Khagaria district twice, winning in 2000 and 2010.

Choudhary had emerged as one of the BJP’s most visible faces in Bihar during the anti-Nitish phase of state politics. In 2022, he had vowed to wear a saffron turban, or muretha, until Nitish Kumar was removed from power. He later symbolically offered the turban to Lord Ram in Ayodhya in July 2024 after Nitish rejoined the NDA.

He belongs to the Koeri, or Kushwaha, community, a politically significant OBC group in Bihar. His elevation is being seen as a strategic move by the BJP to consolidate support among Koeri-Kushwaha voters and strengthen its social base in the post-Nitish political landscape.

Governor Syed Ata Hasnain invited Choudhary to take oath at 10.50 am on Wednesday, soon after he was unanimously elected leader of the NDA legislative party.

Choudhary’s name for the top post was proposed by outgoing CM Nitish Kumar himself at the NDA legislative party meeting. Later, Choudhary, accompanied by alliance leaders, reached Lok Bhawan around 5.50 pm on Tuesday and staked a claim to form the new government.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin congratulated Choudhary on his elevation and said, “I am fully confident that under the guidance of the esteemed Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and your able leadership, Bihar will further advance on the path of progress, prosperity, and self-reliance, infusing new energy and momentum into the resolve of 'Vikshit Bihar, 2047'.”

Samrat Choudhary has spent more than three decades in active politics and has been associated with multiple parties before rising in the BJP. Choudhary began his political career with the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal in the late 1990s and served as a minister in the Rabri Devi government. In 2014, he left the RJD along with several MLAs and joined the Janata Dal (United), where he became a minister in the Jitan Ram Manjhi-led cabinet. When Manjhi formed HAM(S), Samrat joined his party. In 2017, he made his final major political shift by joining the BJP.

His rise in the BJP was swift. He was appointed Bihar BJP vice president in 2018 and later became president of the party’s Bihar unit in March 2023, succeeding Sanjay Jaiswal. In January 2024, after Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA fold, Choudhary was made deputy chief minister.

An aggressive orator, he is considered a disciplined BJP soldier. Political analysts recall an election meeting last year where Nitish asked to join PM Narendra Modi as NDA workers presented the PM a big garland. But Samrat knew his place in the hierarchy and ignored Nitish’s call.

Lakhanpur village, which had been gripped by an air of anticipation over the past few days, burst into celebration on Tuesday as its most prominent son, Samrat was unanimously chosen as the new CM.

“It is a golden day for the village residents of Lakhanpur as well as the districts of Munger, Banka and Bhagalpur besides other adjoining districts,” said a co-villager, describing the sense of pride at seeing a “son of the soil” poised to take over the reins of the state on Wednesday.

They recalled a young boy who once played cricket on dusty fields and grew into a leader commanding statewide influence. Two residents, speaking fondly of his early years, said Choudhary had been passionate about cricket since childhood and continued to pick up the bat even after entering politics.

“Despite his busy schedule, he used to take to the cricket field and also encouraged sports in the village,” one of them said, painting a picture of a leader who never quite lost touch with his roots.

The transition began earlier in the day when Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister, resigned hours after chairing the final meeting of his cabinet. His resignation came weeks after his election to the Rajya Sabha, a move widely seen as marking his shift to national politics.

Accompanied by Choudhary, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha and others, Nitish met Governor Hasnain at Lok Bhawan and recommended dissolution of his cabinet.

“I have done a lot of work for the people of Bihar. Recently, I have decided to leave the post of chief minister. Therefore, after today's cabinet meeting, I met the Governor and submitted my resignation to him. Now the new government will look after the work here. The new government will have my full cooperation and guidance,” Nitish said in a social media post.



Soon after Nitish’s resignation, Choudhary was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislative party at the party headquarters in Patna. His name was proposed by outgoing deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha.
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