Samrat takes oath as Bihar’s first BJP chief minister

A historic political shift has taken place in Bihar with Samrat Choudhary taking oath as the 24th chief minister of the state, marking the first time a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has been formed in the state.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at Lok Bhawan, where Governor Syed Ata Hasnain administered the oath of office and secrecy to Samrat Choudhary.

Shortly thereafter, senior JD(U) leaders Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Vijendra Prasad Yadav were also sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers under the alliance arrangement.

Before taking the oath, Samrat Choudhary visited a Hanuman temple in Rajvanshi Nagar, seeking blessings ahead of assuming office - an act that underscored both personal faith and the symbolic beginning of a new political chapter.

This transition follows the resignation of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who moved to the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for a BJP-led leadership in the state.

With this, Bihar has entered a new era of governance under the BJP’s direct leadership for the first time.

Samrat Choudhary has retained charge of 29 departments following the formation of the new government, with the remaining portfolios to be allocated after the expansion of the Cabinet.

Following the formation of the new government in Bihar under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, the initial allocation of portfolios has been carried out among the top leadership, comprising the CM and two Deputy Chief Ministers.

As per the official notification issued by Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has retained a substantial share of governance responsibilities, keeping 29 key departments under his direct charge.

Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav extended his “congratulations” -- with a sharp ironic undercurrent.

Taking to X, Tejashwi Yadav remarked: “Congratulations to Samrat Chaudhary for fulfilling his pledge today to dethrone the Elected Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and my heartfelt best wishes on becoming the Selected Chief Minister.”

In his message, the RJD leader went on to offer a pointed critique of governance in Bihar over the past two decades.

He highlighted that despite 21 years of NDA rule, the state continues to lag behind national averages across several key indicators, including benchmarks set by NITI Aayog and various Sustainable Development indices.

Indo-Asian News Service