Patna, April 14 — Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was unanimously elected leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s legislature wing on Tuesday and is set to become the state’s first BJP Chief Minister, a move that follows Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain. Choudhary is expected to be sworn in on April 15, 2026, though an official schedule has not yet been issued.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who attended the legislature party meeting as the BJP parliamentary board’s central observer, announced Choudhary’s unanimous election, saying the party had chosen him as its legislature party leader.
Expressing gratitude to the BJP leadership on social media, Choudhary called the role an opportunity to serve the people of Bihar and pledged dedication and integrity in fulfilling public expectations. He also said he would work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Nitin Nabin to advance development and good governance in the state.
Choudhary joined the BJP in 2017 after roughly 12 years in the RJD and JD(U). The BJP is the single largest party in the 243-member Bihar Assembly with 89 MLAs; the ruling National Democratic Alliance holds a comfortable majority of 202 MLAs, enabling a smooth leadership transition within the NDA.
Earlier on Tuesday, Nitish Kumar met Governor Syed Ata Hasnain at Lok Bhavan, formally submitted his resignation and recommended the dissolution of his cabinet — a constitutional step before stepping down. In a social media post, Kumar said he was relinquishing the post after completing significant work for the state and added, “Now the new government will look after the work in Bihar. The new government will have my full cooperation and guidance.”
Kumar, Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister, was accompanied to the Governor’s residence by Samrat Choudhary, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha and state minister Vijay Choudhary. State minister Ram Kripal Yadav said Kumar had informed cabinet colleagues of his decision earlier in the day and described the moment as “emotional.”
With the BJP now poised to lead the government in Bihar, Choudhary’s elevation marks a notable shift in the state’s political leadership and signals a new phase for the NDA government in Patna.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/national/samrat-choudhary-set-to-be-bihars-first-bjp-cm-after-nitish-kumar-exits-1610633
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Publish Date: 2026-04-14 17:15:00
