Kumar Bahukhandi
Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, left, congratulates BJP leader Samrat Choudhary after administering the oath of office to the latter during his swearing-in ceremony as the new Chief Minister, in Patna, on April 15, 2026. – Photo Credit: PTI
Two senior leaders from the JD(U), Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary, also took oath as Ministers
Patna: The newly elected leader of ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday Aril 15, 2026 was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of the State, marking the end of outgoing CM Nitish Kumar’s decades-long political era. Two senior leaders from the JD(U), Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary, also took oath as Ministers.
Both are likely to be Deputy CMs in the new BJP-led NDA government.
Before being sworn-in, Samrat Choudhary visited a famous Hanuman temple in Patna to offer prayer and seek blessings.
The hall at the Lok Bhawan was packed with NDA leaders and workers.
Some enthusiastic BJP workers and supporters of Samrat Choudhary even chanted slogans like “Samrat Choudhary zindabad”, “Bihar ka mukhyamantri kaisa ho, Samrat Choudhary jaisa ho” (how should the Bihar Chief Minister be, like Samrat Choudhary) when Samrat Choudhary was taking oath.
Senior BJP leaders, including party chief Nitin Nabin, Union Minister J.P. Nadda, party’s national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh and others, along with former CM Nitish Kumar, were present on the occasion. Meanwhile, posters proclaiming Samrat Choudhary’s era as the new BJP Chief Minister have been put in the streets of Patna.
After taking oath, Mr. Samrat Choudhary went to the party headquarters to meet party workers and leaders, where he said the party workers and booth-level leaders would not get more honour in the party. Later, he met top officials of the government at State Secretariat giving some straight instructions to them that he, apparently, sent the message that he has plunged into work from the day he took the oath of the office. “With the blessings of Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi I’ll take forward work of development and growth in the state”, he told media persons.
Earlier, there has been talks and speculations that Nishant Kumar, son of Mr. Kumar and had joined the JD(U) recently, might take oath as one of the deputy CMs but it was said that he was reluctant to don the post before having much of political experience.
Both Yadav, 79, and Vijay Kumar Choudhary, 69, are considered close to Nitish Kumar and were Ministers in his previous Cabinets. Both the leaders, however, asserted that “like the previous government, this too is a an NDA government and we’ll work together with blessings of Nitish Kumar”.
Yadav has been minister in Bihar since 2005 but his failing health has been a cause of concern for others, including Nitish Kumar. In last Cabinet, Yadav was the Minister for Finance, Planning and Development and without support he was barely seen walking in the power corridors. He has been winning Assembly elections from Supaul constituency since 1990.
Earlier, Yadav also served as Minister for Energy department in the previous Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) government headed by its leader Lalu Prasad Yadav. Again in 1995 in the RJD government, he was the Minister for Urban Development in the Cabinet of Lalu Prasad.
Later when Janata Dal split in 1997 and after which Lalu Prasad formed Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bijendra Prasad Yadav joined the faction led by Sharad Yadav which eventually became the Janata Dal (United) and since then Bijendra Prasad Yadav has remained with JD(U) winning Assembly elections for nine consecutive terms from Supaul.
It is said that when Nishant Kumar, son of Nitish Kumar, refused to become Deputy CM along with Samrat Choudhary, the party successfully roped-in Bijendra Prasad Yadav for the post. Bijendra Prasad Yadav, earlier, had announced that if Nitish Kumar would not be the Chief Minister of the State, he too would not remain the Minister.
Similarly, Choudhary has been in JD(U) since 2005 winning Assembly elections from Sarairanjan constituency of Samastipur district. In the previous regime of Nitish Kumar, he was the Minister for Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs.
The soft-spoken Vijay Kumar Choudhary begun his political career with the Congress Party winning Assembly elections from Dalsinghsarai constituency of the district (1985 & 1990). He also had served as general secretary of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) from 2000-2005. Earlier, he was chief whip of the Congress Legislature Party in the State.
He joined the JD(U) in 2005 and contested October 2005 Assembly elections unsuccessfully from Sarairanjan constituency. In 2010 he was nominated as the state president of JD(U) and led the party to victory in 2010 Assembly elections and himself won the poll from Sarairanjan constituency with a margin of over 17,000 votes and was also inducted into Nitish Kumar’s Cabinet as Water Resources Minister.
Later, he was also elected as the Speaker of Bihar Legislative Assembly from December 2, 2015, to November 15, 2020. He was succeeded as the Speaker of the assembly by BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha.
The Cabinet expansion of the new government is said to take place after the results of the election in four States — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, — and Puducherry.
The ruling NDA has 202 legislators in the Bihar Assembly, of whom, the BJP has 89, the JD(U) has 85, Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has 19, Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has 5 and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) has 4.
In the 243-member State Assembly, maximum number of Ministers could be 36. The Ministers from coalition parties, though, are expected to remain in power in the new Cabinet.
