Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM; BJP’s Samrat Choudhary to take over

Patna: Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar, on Tuesday submitted his resignation from the post to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, bringing to an end a tenure that spanned multiple terms and political phases.

Soon after, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was elevated to the Chief Minister’s post, marking a major political shift in the state. Choudhary, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is set to take oath on Wednesday, becoming the first BJP leader to head the Bihar government.

The decision followed a meeting of BJP legislators in Patna, where Choudhary was elected leader of the party’s legislative group. Senior party leaders, including central observer Shivraj Singh Chouhan, were present during the deliberations. The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha.

In a statement after stepping down, Nitish Kumar said he had decided to resign after serving the people of Bihar for years and expressed confidence in the new government. He assured that he would extend “full support and guidance” to the incoming leadership, signalling continuity within the ruling alliance.

Kumar’s resignation comes amid months of speculation over his future, particularly after he indicated his intention to move to the Rajya Sabha.

He was sworn in as a member of the Upper House earlier this month. His exit also follows the BJP’s growing dominance in the state, having emerged as the largest party in the 2025 assembly elections with 89 seats.

Choudhary, 57, is regarded as a prominent OBC face of the BJP in Bihar and currently represents the Tarapur constituency, which he won by a margin of over 45,000 votes. His political career has seen multiple shifts, beginning with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in 1999 before moving to the Janata Dal (United) in 2014 and later joining the BJP in 2017.

He also comes from a political family. His father, Shakuni Choudhary, was a founding member of the Samata Party and a prominent figure in Bihar politics, while his mother Parvati Devi represented the Tarapur constituency in the past.

Often described as a vocal critic of Nitish Kumar in the past, Choudhary had once taken a public vow to remove his turban only after unseating him. However, the two leaders later developed a working relationship within the alliance, paving the way for a smooth transition of power.

Nitish Kumar, who first assumed office in 2005 under the National Democratic Alliance, has been a central figure in Bihar politics, credited with improvements in governance and infrastructure while also facing criticism for frequently shifting alliances.

With Choudhary set to assume office, Bihar enters a new political phase, with the BJP directly leading the government for the first time in the state.