JDU Era Ends: Bihar Get its First BJP CM, Samrat Choudhary to Take Oath Tomorrow

Bihar: Samrat Choudhary has been declared Bihar’s new Chief Minister and is set to take oath tomorrow(April 15) at 11 am. This marks the first time a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party has taken the Chief Minister’s post in Bihar. The party, long a crucial force in the state’s coalition politics, is now poised to take charge of the government on its own. Earlier, the state was led by Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United), who governed in alliance with the NDA. Nitish Kumar served as Chief Minister for most of the past two decades. Notably, in November, he was sworn in for a record 10th term after the Janata Dal (United) and its allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party, won 202 of 243 seats in the assembly elections.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha suggested Samrat Choudhary as the BJP's legislative party leader in Bihar, with backing from MLAs Renu Devi, Mangal Pandey, and Dilip Jaiswal. Later, BJP's Central Observer for Bihar and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that Samrat Choudhary has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the BJP Legislative Party in Bihar. 

'Nitish Kumar Taught Good Governance': Samrat Choudhary 

After being unanimously elected as the Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Choudhary said, "In my life, the BJP gave me several opportunities to serve. I have been working as a political worker for about 30 years, but there was no ideology by my side earlier. I have worked for the BJP since 2015, I assure the PM, HM, party's national president, general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state party president Sanjay Saraogi that the ideology of the BJP - we will continue to take up the work of considering India before everything else and considering it the best, and prioritising the party. Nitish Kumar taught a lot of things - how the govt is run, how good governance will be established in Bihar and what is good for democracy in Bihar. The vision of Viksit Bharat of PM Modi and that of prosperous Bihar by Nitish Kumar - together we will make Bihar prosperous and make the country developed.

Soon after the announcement at the NDA meeting, Samrat Choudhary taking to X, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Bharatiya Janata Party's central leadership for putting their trust in him and entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the state. He stated that he will meet the demands of all citizens with total integrity, commitment, and honesty.

Samrat Choudhary has emerged as a significant OBC leader for the BJP, representing the powerful Koeri-Kushwaha community in Bihar. His strong caste connections, along with an outspoken and combative political approach, have positioned him as a key figure in the party's efforts to broaden its base in the state.

Before the BJP and JD(U) reunited in 2024, Choudhary was a strong critic of Nitish Kumar. In 2022, he took a symbolic position by refusing to remove his saffron turban, or muretha, until Nitish Kumar was removed from office. That pledge came to an end in July 2024 after the NDA returned to office. Choudhary marked the occasion with a trip to Ayodhya, where he presented the turban to Lord Rama, shaved his head, and took a holy dip in the Saryu River.

In recent years, the BJP leadership has slowly raised Choudhary's reputation, positioning him as one of the party's leading figures in Bihar. During the 2025 Assembly elections, he oversaw the campaign outreach, and his presence in critical political battlegrounds such as West Bengal reflected the party's growing trust in him as a national-level leader.

Samrat Choudhary, the son of senior activist Shakuni Choudhary, has developed his political career by effectively climbing through the ranks.

He entered politics in 1990, beginning as an assistant minister in Rabri Devi's administration. He became an MLA from the Parbatta constituency in 2000 and again in 2010, as well as assuming ministerial responsibilities in 2014.

In 2018, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, which marked a turning point in his political career. His rise within the party was swift, he went on to become the state president, later serving as Deputy Chief Minister, and emerged as one of the key faces of the BJP in Bihar.