Samrat Choudhary swearing-in LIVE: After decades of political dominance by Nitish Kumar, Bihar is on the cusp of a historic shift. Samrat Choudhary, 57, was sworn-in as the state’s first-ever BJP chief minister — ending an era and opening a new chapter for the NDA in one of India’s most politically consequential states.
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11 am: BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Samrat Choudhary sworn in as Bihar chief minister by Governor Syed Ata Hasnain.
10.50am: BJP leader and soon-to-be sworn -in as Bihar Chef Minister Samrat Chaudhary visited Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple to offers prayers ahead of the oath taking ceremony.
NDA allies shower blessing for Samrat Choudhary, who is set to take oath as Bihar Chief Minister soon. Union Minister Chirag Paswan said, “Samrat Choudhary has worked to build consensus with all the alliance partners of the coalition. I believe that this capability is in him… I hope that he will carry forward the works of Nitish Kumar and fulfill the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build a developed Bihar for a developed India.”
The Moment Bihar Has Been Watching
Samrat Choudhary is scheduled to take the oath of office at Lok Bhawan in Patna on Wednesday, in the presence of senior NDA leaders, chief ministers from across the country, and top functionaries of the BJP, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), and three other alliance partners.
The ceremony marks the first time the BJP will lead a government in Bihar.
Nitish Kumar Steps Aside After Record Tenure
The transition for a BJP CM to takeover was set in motion when Nitish Kumar, who was sworn in as chief minister for a record tenth time in 2025 following the NDA’s landslide victory in the state assembly elections, relinquished his post and dissolved his cabinet.
Nitish Kumar, who now serves as a Rajya Sabha MP, did not leave quietly. He offered his successor both a blessing and a benchmark.
“We have done a lot of work for the people of Bihar. For so many days, we have continuously served the people. We had decided that we would now leave the post of Chief Minister, and therefore, after today’s cabinet meeting, we met the Honourable Governor and submitted our resignation to him. Now the new government will look after the work here. The new government will have my full cooperation and guidance. Even ahead, a lot of very good work will be done, and Bihar will advance a great deal,” Kumar wrote in a post.
His departure marks the end of an era defined by what his supporters called “Sushasan” — good governance — and leaves Choudhary with considerable expectations to meet.
Who Is Samrat Choudhary?
Samrat Choudhary’s political journey is anything but straightforward. Born in 1968 into a family steeped in politics — his father Shakuni Choudhary was a six-time MLA from the Tarapur constituency, and his mother Parvati Devi won the same seat in 1998 — he entered politics in 1990 and has since crossed several party lines.
He began with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), served as Bihar’s Agriculture Minister in 1999 under Rabri Devi’s government, and won the Parbatta Assembly seat in 2000 and again in 2005. In 2014, he moved to the Janata Dal (United), where he served as Minister of Urban Development and Housing under the Jitan Ram Manjhi-led government.
His entry into the BJP came in 2017. Within a year, he was elevated to state vice president, owing to his strong grip on the Koeri community vote. He became Panchayati Raj Minister in 2021, BJP state president in 2023, and Deputy Chief Minister — holding the crucial home portfolio — in 2024.
A Historic Appointment for the Koeri Community
In a state where caste is never far from the centre of political calculation, Choudhary’s elevation carries particular significance. He is only the second person from the influential Koeri community to occupy Bihar’s top post.
The first was Satish Prasad Singh, whose tenure in 1968 lasted a mere five days before his coalition government collapsed following the withdrawal of Congress support.
Choudhary also joins a select group of leaders, alongside Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur, to have served as both deputy chief minister and chief minister of the state. Thakur waited two years between the two roles; Choudhary’s rise has been considerably swifter.
The Saffron Turban and a Promise Kept
Perhaps no moment better captures Samrat Choudhary’s combative political personality than a declaration he made in 2022, at the height of tensions between the BJP and JD(U).
He publicly declared he would not remove his saffron turban, known as a muretha in Bihar — until Nitish Kumar was removed from the chief minister’s chair.
The two men eventually reconciled when the BJP and JD(U) renewed their alliance in 2024. Today, with Choudhary ascending to the very post he once vowed to fight for, that promise finds its resolution — not through conflict, but through a peaceful transfer of power within the same coalition.
Samrat Choudhary’s First Words as CM-Designate
Samrat Choudhary responded to his appointment with a pledge of service, describing the role as something far greater than a political position.
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party for reposing their trust in me by assigning the responsibility of Leader of the BJP Bihar Legislative Party. This is not merely a position for me, but a sacred opportunity to serve the people of Bihar, to fulfil their trust and dreams. I pledge to live up to the expectations of one and all with complete dedication, commitment, and integrity,” he said.
He also paid tribute to his predecessor, saying Kumar had taught him much, and that the twin visions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Viksit Bharat and Kumar’s prosperous Bihar would together guide the state forward.
