From RJD loyalist to first BJP Bihar CM, Samrat Choudhary's big strides

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Bihar’s chief minister-designate Samrat Choudhary, who is all set to replace the state’s longest-serving CM Nitish Kumar after being elected as the NDA legislative party leader on Tuesday, has witnessed a meteoric rise in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since joining the party nine years ago. Known for his organisational skills and being a team player, the 57-year-old leader will on Wednesday become the BJP’s first chief minister in the state. Outgoing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appointed BJP leader Samrat Choudhary as new Bihar Chief Minister during National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislatures meeting.Hailing from the politically influential Koeri (Kushwaha) community — a prominent Other Backward Classes (OBC) group in Bihar — Choudhary entered politics in 1990 as a member of the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). His father Shakuni Choudhary was a six-time legislator from the Tarapur assembly constituency in Munger district, representing the Congress, erstwhile Samata Party, and the RJD. His mother Parvati had won the Tarapur seat in 1998. Samrat Choudhary had first hit headlines in 1999, when he was inducted as the agriculture minister in the cabinet headed by then CM Rabri Devi. His ministerial stint, however, was short-lived as he was removed from the cabinet following complaint that he had not completed 25 years of age. Choudhary was not a member of the legislature at the time. In 2000, the RJD fielded him in the assembly elections from the Parbatta constituency. After his win, he was re-inducted as the minister and completed a full five-year term. He remained with the RJD despite the party losing the 2005 assembly polls. He was rewarded by the party by appointing him the chief whip. In 2014, Choudhary parted with the RJD and joined the Janata Dal (United)-led government headed by Jitan Ram Manjhi and served as the urban development minister. When Manjhi stepped down after Nitish Kumar decided to return as the CM, Choudhary also lost his ministerial berth. His last and possibly the most significant switch came in 2017, when he joined the BJP — a party where he rose to become the state vice-president just a year later. When Nitish Kumar broke ties with the NDA, Choudhary was seen as a strong critic of the JD(U) supremo. In that period, he would always appear in public with a turban (muretha) on his head — with the headgear being seen as his vow to unseat Nitish Kumar from power. In 2023, Choudhary was appointed the state BJP president. After Kumar returned to the NDA in 2024, Choudhary was named as a deputy chief minister. His rise took another leap after the 2025 Bihar assembly polls, which the BJP-led NDA swept. Not only did Choudhary, who won from his family bastion Tarapur, retained his deputy CM post, he also got the additional responsibility of home portfolio, a department Nitish Kumar always kept with himself since 2005. Many political observers maintain that Choudhary, by virtue of being a Koeri, a powerful OBC community, was a fit match for the BJP which has been trying to expand its base in Bihar. “Samrat Choudhary is an OBC face and a formidable leader of Kushwahas. This is one of the primary factors the BJP has made a big bet on him hoping to widen its OBC caste base as well as the extremely backward classes (EBCs), who till now have remained aligned with the JD(U),” said DM Diwakar, senior political analyst and former director of AN Sinha Institute of Social Sciences, Patna. “Choudhary’s his ability to work as a team man has seemingly helped him to become the consensus CM candidate of the NDA with approval from chief minister Nitish Kumar himself.” Leaders in both NDA and opposition admit that Choudhary understands the nuances of Bihar politics, even though he did not came to forefront from any big movement unlike other senior leaders like Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. “Samrat has the ability to make his presence felt and has been at the right place at the right time. This is key for politics,” said a senior NDA leader, declining to be named. Choudhary’s journey was not without its share of controversy. In the run-up to the last year’s assembly polls, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor raised issues like discrepancies in his age as stated in different election affidavits and his alleged involvement in criminal cases. Kishor accused him of falsifying his age to get bail in the 1995 grenade attack case that resulted in the deaths of Congress candidate Sachchidanand Singh and his associates. Choudhary, however, clarified he was never formally charged in the case. Choudhary, who takes over the reign of Bihar from its longest-serving chief minister, will aim to transform Bihar into a BJP stronghold, while accommodating allies like the JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), HAM(S) and smaller allies. Choudhary’s clout and growing stature in the party can be summed up by the announcement Union home minister Amit Shah made while canvassing in Tarapur constituency ahead of the assembly polls. Shah had urged the people to vote for Choudhary, promising that he would be made “a big man”. Months later, that promise has come true.