Samrat Choudhary will be BJPs first Bihar CM, oath tomorrow

The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced that Samrat Choudhary will take over as the new chief minister of Bihar, replacing Nitish Kumar. Currently serving as deputy chief minister, Choudhary is expected to be sworn in on April 15, marking a significant political transition in the state and making him the BJP’s first chief minister in Bihar.

Choudhary comes from a strong political background, with deep roots in Bihar’s electoral landscape. His father, Shakuni Chaudhary, was a six-time MLA from Tarapur, while his mother, Parvati Devi, also served as a legislator. He began his political career with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in 1999 and was elected as an MLA from Parbatta in 2000. He later became a minister in the government led by Rabri Devi.

Over the years, his political journey has seen multiple shifts across parties. In 2014, he joined the Janata Dal (United) and served as a minister under Jitan Ram Manjhi. He later moved to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2017, where his rise was rapid. He held key organisational roles, including state vice-president, and became the party’s Bihar unit president in 2023. In January 2024, he was appointed deputy chief minister in the NDA government.

Considered a prominent OBC face of the BJP in Bihar, Choudhary has played a crucial role in the party’s organisational expansion and electoral strategy in the state. He maintains a strong grassroots presence, particularly in regions like Tarapur, a traditional stronghold of his family. However, his career has also seen controversies, including opposition allegations regarding discrepancies in election affidavits and references to a 1995 murder case, issues that continue to feature in political debates even as he assumes a pivotal leadership role.