The Long Era of Nitish Kumar’s Dominance in Bihar Politics Ends With His Resignation; Samrat Choudhary Set to Become Bihar’s First BJP Chief Minister

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On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Bihar saw a major political shift as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving CM of the state, officially resigned from his position. After his resignation, the state will see Samrat Choudhary  from BJP take over as the new Chief Minister. This marks the end of Nitish Kumar’s more than two-decade-long dominance in Bihar politics.

Samrat Choudhary, currently the Deputy Chief Minister of the state, was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party. His swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on April 15, 2026, at Lok Bhawan in Patna. This will be the first time that Bihar will have a BJP leader as Chief Minister.

Nitish Kumar, a towering figure in Bihar politics for over 50 years, resigned after deciding to move to the Rajya Sabha. He served as Chief Minister a record 10 times and remained central to the state’s political landscape for decades. His exit signals the beginning of a new political phase in Bihar, with new leadership taking charge of the state government.

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The decision to make Choudhary the Chief Minister quickly gained consensus within the BJP after Nitish Kumar’s decision to contest the Rajya Sabha elections. Several senior leaders supported his candidature, including Vijay Sinha, Mangal Pandey, Dilip Jaiswal, and Renu Devi. The decision was formally endorsed by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was appointed as the central observer for the leadership selection.

Following the announcement, Choudhary expressed gratitude, calling the role a “sacred opportunity” to serve the people of Bihar and pledging commitment to development, governance, and prosperity under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party for showing their trust in me by assigning the responsibility of Leader of the BJP Bihar Legislative Party. I pledge to live up to the expectations of one and all with complete dedication, commitment, and integrity,” he wrote in a post on X.

Who is Samrat Choudhary?

A seasoned politician with over three decades of experience, Samrat Choudhary has had a dynamic political journey across multiple parties before rising within the BJP. He began his career with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and became Agriculture Minister in 1999 under the Rabri Devi government. He later joined the JD(U), where he served as Minister for Urban Development.

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In 2017, he joined the BJP and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the state unit president in 2023 and a key strategist behind the party’s strong performance in recent elections. Known for his strong grassroots connect, Choudhary has consistently held political ground.

Choudhary had made headlines earlier for wearing a turban as a political vow in 2023, stating he would remove it only after unseating Nitish Kumar when Kumar had shifted to the RJD. However, after Kumar later left the RJD-JD(U)-Congress alliance and returned to the NDA, Choudhary fulfilled his vow in 2024 by offering the turban at Ayodhya. Now his appointment as the CM symbolically marks a turning point in his political journey.

[VP]

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