Patna: BJP’s political ‘kharmas’ in Bihar will end on Wednesday when Samrat Choudhary takes oath as its chief minister, thanks to outgoing CM Nitish Kumar, who decided to step down after leading the state for two decades with a clean image, despite securing a thumping mandate for ‘25 se 30 phir se Nitish’. It is unprecedented for any politician in the present era to relinquish the CM’s post to fulfil his wish of becoming a Rajya Sabha member.The veteran leader, who transformed Bihar’s perception globally since Nov 2005, walked out smiling after his final cabinet meeting as CM on Tuesday, even as several cabinet colleagues were left in tears. As minister Zama Khan said, Nitish remained calm and composed like “a saint” during the meeting and afterwards, despite the intense emotions among those present.Many would agree with what former MP Surajbhan Singh said a few days earlier: “Paksh ho ya vipaksh, sab dukhi hain (be it ruling parties or the opposition, everyone is sad)” over Nitish’s decision to step down as CM.A BJP minister in Nitish’s cabinet, Ram Kripal Yadav, echoed similar sentiments after the meeting, saying, “What Nitish did for Bihar, no one else can.”A glance at Bihar two decades ago explains the weight of that remark. The state was often in the headlines for the wrong reasons — corruption, caste conflict and communal violence, with the 1989 Bhagalpur riots standing out as a stark example. Nitish altered that narrative and earned the sobriquet of ‘Sushasan babu’ by introducing a work culture that had long been missing. He focused on infrastructure development, accelerated growth and improved law and order.His leadership model has, in recent years, drawn attention beyond Bihar, with several states and even the Centre taking cues from what came to be known as the Nitish model of development.As Patna University academic Aviral Pandey said, Nitish’s legacy lies in restoring the institutional framework that enabled Bihar’s sustained progress. “When he assumed office in 2005, Bihar was marked by weak governance, low per capita income, and eroded public trust. Over time, he reestablished law and order, strengthened governance, and rebuilt the everyday credibility of the state apparatus. Economic indicators followed this institutional recovery. His most enduring contribution lies in reshaping Bihar’s social economy. This transformation was achieved by expanding women’s participation in education through initiatives such as the Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana, instituting 50% reservation for women in local governance and 35% horizontal reservation in govt jobs and promoting entrepreneurship through the Jeevika model. Equally significant was his ability to build acceptance across caste and religion, which fostered social harmony and a more stable political equilibrium in the state,” he said.JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha said on Monday, “History will judge Nitish and his legacy. Many people think what would have happened to Bihar had Nitish not been the CM. PM Narendra Modi has high regard for him, having said Nitish is a living socialist. He kept working for Bihar as its CM till a day before quitting the post which he served for almost two decades. Nitish is a workaholic and served Bihar without taking a break. He works for everyone irrespective of whether they are his voters or not. Nitish gives respect to one and all.”It appears Nitish chose to repay his political debt to the BJP by handing over the baton, recalling the party’s role in helping him dislodge the Lalu-Rabri Devi regime and supporting him as CM in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections last November. During an election meeting in Tarapur, where Samrat was contesting, Nitish hinted at this by urging voters to support his deputy, suggesting he would go a long way in state politics.
