Following his March announcement and Rajya Sabha swearing-in on April 10, Nitish Kumar resigned as Bihar chief minister on April 14, paving the way for BJP leader Samrat Choudhary to become the NDA legislature party leader. Choudhary met Governor Syed Ata Hasnain to stake his claim and is set to take oath on April 15, with JD(U)'s Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary as deputy chief ministers.
In Patna, Nitish Kumar tendered his resignation at Lok Bhavan on Tuesday, fulfilling the power shift anticipated since his March 5 announcement of a Rajya Sabha bid. In the BJP legislature party meeting, chaired by central observer Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Samrat Choudhary—previously a frontrunner speculated in early reports—was elected leader. At the NDA legislature party meeting, Nitish Kumar endorsed Choudhary as the leader and garlanded him.
Choudhary told reporters, 'PM Narendra Modi and our mentor Nitish Kumar will continue to guide us toward the continued progress of Bihar. Our goal is to realise the motto of Viksit Bihar.' He posted on X, 'For me, this is not merely a position, but an opportunity to serve the people of Bihar.'
The BJP office on Veerchand Patel Road celebrated with a giant LED lotus, firecrackers, balloons, and chants of 'Jai Bihar, Jai Samrat.' State BJP president Sanjay Saraogi and Health Minister Mangal Pandey joined amid applause.
This development marks the BJP's first chief minister in Bihar, coming months after the NDA's 2025 assembly election victory and Nitish's transition to the Rajya Sabha.
