Patna: In a historic political shift in state politics, Samrat Choudhary was sworn in as the 24th chief minister of Bihar, becoming the first BJP leader to hold the state’s top post and ending more than two decades of political dominance by JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar.The oath-taking ceremony took place at Lok Bhawan, where Governor Syed Ata Hasnain administered the oath of office to Choudhary.
Alongside him, senior JD(U) leaders Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, both ministers in the previous Nitish Kumar-led government, took oath as ministers and later in the day they were designated as Bihar’s new deputy chief ministers.Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Choudhary and in a post on X Modi said, “Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Shri Samrat Choudhary on taking oath as the chief minister of Bihar! His energy, dedication to public service, and grassroots experience will prove extremely beneficial for the state. I am fully confident that under his capable leadership, Bihar will touch new heights of all-round development and fulfil the aspirations of the people.”Choudhary’s elevation is widely being viewed as a calculated political move by the BJP to deepen its support among Other Backward Classes, especially the Kushwaha/Koeri community. As only the second Chief Minister from the Koeri community, his appointment is expected to play a key role in reshaping the NDA’s social coalition ahead of future elections.His rise also reflects the BJP’s long-term strategy to emerge as the dominant force within Bihar’s ruling alliance.He now takes charge of an NDA coalition in which the BJP is the single-largest party with 89 MLAs.Soon after taking oath as CM, Samrat touched the feet of his predecessor Nitish Kumar and sought his blessings. Later in the evening, Choudhary visited Nitish at his official residence, where the two leaders held discussions on various issues.After the swearing-in, Choudhary went to the main secretariat and formally took charge of his office. In his first meeting with the state’s top bureaucrats, he laid out his priorities clearly, stressing a “zero tolerance” policy toward corruption and calling for faster delivery of governance.He told officials, “Work with full firmness on the policy of ‘zero tolerance’ towards corruption in the state. There should be no tendency to delay work at any level, from state headquarters down to the ground level. It should be our tendency to resolve public problems swiftly.”He further said, “The general public should receive convenience at the block, circle and police station level, and their problems should be resolved in a timely manner. We must work together with discipline and sensitivity, to make Bihar a developed and prosperous state.”As the new head of government, Choudhary initially retained 29 departments, including the crucial home portfolio, which he had also handled as Nitish’s deputy in the previous govt. The decision is being seen as a sign of renewed focus on law and order and administrative reforms.A broader Cabinet expansion is expected in the coming weeks. Out of the constitutional limit of 36 ministers, 33 berths remain vacant, giving the BJP-led NDA room to shape a wider ministry while balancing regional and caste representation.Before arriving at Lok Bhawan for the swearing-in, Choudhary visited a temple and offered prayers.The event drew the presence of several top National Democratic Alliance leaders and senior political figures. Among those attending were outgoing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, J.P. Nadda, Giriraj Singh, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha, and BJP national general secretary B L Santosh.The leadership transition followed Nitish Kumar’s resignation on Tuesday. Bihar’s longest-serving Chief Minister stepped down to move to the Rajya Sabha, where he was sworn in as a member on April 10.
