BJP’s Samrat Choudhary sworn in as Bihar chief minister

BJP’s Samrat Choudhary sworn in as Bihar chief minister

Samrat Choudhary was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar on Wednesday, becoming the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to head the government in the state.

He was administered the oath of office by Governor Syed Ata Hasnain at Lok Bhavan.

Choudhary succeeds Nitish Kumar, who led Bihar for over a decade before deciding to move to the Rajya Sabha.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several senior leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the BJP, JD(U) and three other constituent parties.

With this development, Choudhary becomes the first BJP leader to serve as Chief Minister of Bihar.

The 57-year-old leader steps into a significant role, succeeding Nitish Kumar, who was sworn in for a record 10th term in 2025 after the NDA’s decisive victory in the Assembly elections.

Choudhary began his career in the 1990s with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) before joining the BJP in 2018. He was appointed BJP’s Bihar state president in 2023 and later became Deputy Chief Minister in 2024.

Born in 1968, he comes from a politically active family. His father, Shakuni Choudhary, was a six-time MLA from Tarapur, while his mother, Parvati Devi, represented the same constituency in 1998.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the new Chief Minister. In a post on X, he said, “Heartfelt congratulations to Shri Samrat Choudhary ji on taking the oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar. I extend my best wishes for your successful tenure as the first Chief Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar.”

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and Shri Nitish Kumar ji, the NDA was serving the people of Bihar with dedication, and I am confident that under your leadership, it will gain even greater momentum. The NDA’s double-engine government will work with even more energy towards building a secure and developed Bihar,” added HM Shah.

Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Union Minister Chirag Paswan met Choudhary and extended his best wishes. In a post on X, Paswan said, “I am fully confident that under your leadership, Bihar will reach new heights of development, good governance, and prosperity.”