<p>Patna: BJP leader<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bihar/from-lantern-to-lotus-samrat-choudharys-rise-to-bihar-cm-post-3967668"> Samrat Choudhary</a> was sworn in as 24th Chief Minister of Bihar at the Lok Bhavan here on Wednesday. The oath was administered by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at a simple function which was attended by BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union Ministers JP Nadda, Chirag Paswan and former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.</p>.<p>Two senior-most Janata Dal (United) leaders – Vijay Choudhary and Bijendra Yadav - were also administered the oath as ministers in the Samrat Cabinet. Both the leaders will be the two new Deputy CMs representing the JD (U), a pattern started by the BJP in November 2020, when the saffron camp had two deputies of Nitish.</p><p>Both Vijay Choudhaary and Bijendra Yadav are the trusted associates of Nitish. Incidentally, Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar, who was tipped to be the new Deputy CM, reportedly refused to join the new Cabinet saying he would like to work for the party and strengthen it at the grass-roots level.</p>.Nitish Kumar's blue-eyed boy Samrat Choudhary not some BJP leaders' favourite pick as Bihar CM.<p><strong>Record player</strong></p><p>Samrat on Wednesday created several records of sorts. He became the first Chief Minister from the BJP in Bihar, the only State in the Hindi heartland where the saffron camp had failed to have its own CM. Secondly, he equalled the feat of Bharat Ratna, Karpoori Thakur, who became CM after being elevated from Deputy CM’s post in 1970. Third, Samrat became the second Chief Minister from the Koeri community (the second most influential OBCs after Yadavs). Earlier, Satish Prasad Singh, also a Koeri, had become Bihar CM in 1968 but only for five days.</p><p>The new Cabinet will be expanded later as there are still 33 vacancies for the ministerial berth. As per the constitutional mandate, Bihar can have 36 ministers, including the CM, in the 243-member Assembly.</p><p><strong>Road to success</strong></p><p>1999: Samrat becomes minister for the first time in Rabri Devi-headed RJD Govt.</p><p>2010: Becomes Chief Whip of the RJD.</p><p>2014: Joins JD (U). Eventually becomes minister in Jitan Ram Manjhi Govt.</p><p>2017: Joins BJP; becomes Bihar BJP president in 2018.</p><p>2021: Becomes Panchayati Raj Minister in Nitish Govt</p><p>2024: When Nitish dumped RJD and rejoined NDA in January 2024, Samrat becomes Deputy Chief Minister as well as Finance Minister.</p><p>2025: Samrat becomes Nitish’s deputy again, but gets Home portfolio, thereby becoming the second most powerful politician in the State.</p><p>2026: On April 15, becomes BJP’s first Chief Minister in Bihar. </p>
<p>Patna: BJP leader<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bihar/from-lantern-to-lotus-samrat-choudharys-rise-to-bihar-cm-post-3967668"> Samrat Choudhary</a> was sworn in as 24th Chief Minister of Bihar at the Lok Bhavan here on Wednesday. The oath was administered by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at a simple function which was attended by BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union Ministers JP Nadda, Chirag Paswan and former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.</p>.<p>Two senior-most Janata Dal (United) leaders – Vijay Choudhary and Bijendra Yadav - were also administered the oath as ministers in the Samrat Cabinet. Both the leaders will be the two new Deputy CMs representing the JD (U), a pattern started by the BJP in November 2020, when the saffron camp had two deputies of Nitish.</p><p>Both Vijay Choudhaary and Bijendra Yadav are the trusted associates of Nitish. Incidentally, Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar, who was tipped to be the new Deputy CM, reportedly refused to join the new Cabinet saying he would like to work for the party and strengthen it at the grass-roots level.</p>.Nitish Kumar's blue-eyed boy Samrat Choudhary not some BJP leaders' favourite pick as Bihar CM.<p><strong>Record player</strong></p><p>Samrat on Wednesday created several records of sorts. He became the first Chief Minister from the BJP in Bihar, the only State in the Hindi heartland where the saffron camp had failed to have its own CM. Secondly, he equalled the feat of Bharat Ratna, Karpoori Thakur, who became CM after being elevated from Deputy CM’s post in 1970. Third, Samrat became the second Chief Minister from the Koeri community (the second most influential OBCs after Yadavs). Earlier, Satish Prasad Singh, also a Koeri, had become Bihar CM in 1968 but only for five days.</p><p>The new Cabinet will be expanded later as there are still 33 vacancies for the ministerial berth. As per the constitutional mandate, Bihar can have 36 ministers, including the CM, in the 243-member Assembly.</p><p><strong>Road to success</strong></p><p>1999: Samrat becomes minister for the first time in Rabri Devi-headed RJD Govt.</p><p>2010: Becomes Chief Whip of the RJD.</p><p>2014: Joins JD (U). Eventually becomes minister in Jitan Ram Manjhi Govt.</p><p>2017: Joins BJP; becomes Bihar BJP president in 2018.</p><p>2021: Becomes Panchayati Raj Minister in Nitish Govt</p><p>2024: When Nitish dumped RJD and rejoined NDA in January 2024, Samrat becomes Deputy Chief Minister as well as Finance Minister.</p><p>2025: Samrat becomes Nitish’s deputy again, but gets Home portfolio, thereby becoming the second most powerful politician in the State.</p><p>2026: On April 15, becomes BJP’s first Chief Minister in Bihar. </p>