Posters declaring Samrat Choudhary as new Bihar CM put up outside Patna BJP office as Nitish heads to Delhi

Patna: Posters declaring Samrat Choudhary, the deputy CM of Bihar, as the man who would head the new government in the state, were on Thursday put up outside the BJP office in Patna as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar left for Delhi to be sworn in as a Rajya Sabha MP.

The posters, a few of which were pulled down by the party office staff, bore the label of 'Valmiki Samaj', a community of Dalits associated with scavenging work.

"We do not know who has put up these posters. We can, at this moment, only say that who would be the next CM is a decision to be taken collectively, as has been the party's tradition," BJP state media in charge Danish Eqbal told reporters.

Speculations are rife that upon being sworn in as Rajya Sabha MP on Friday, Kumar, who turned 75 last month, will hold the last meeting of his cabinet next week before giving up the chief minister's post.

Choudhary, who is seen as the front-runner among those in the race for the top job, has experienced a meteoric rise since he joined the BJP less than a decade ago.

Hailing from the Koeri caste, an influential OBC group which both the BJP and the main opposition party RJD have been trying to woo with equal intensity, Choudhary was made the state party president in 2023 and became the Deputy CM a year later, when the NDA was back in power following the JD(U) supremo's return to the coalition.

When the NDA retained power in the assembly polls held last year, Choudhary returned as Deputy CM, this time with the crucial Home portfolio, which Kumar had so far been averse to parting with.

According to sources in the BJP, which is currently the single largest party in the 243-strong assembly, the new government will be formed after April 14, when the month-long inauspicious Hindu calendar period of 'Kharmaas' ends.

The sources said top leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are likely to be present at a "grand ceremony" that will mark the formation of the "first ever BJP government in Bihar", the only Hindi heartland state where the seat of power has eluded the party.

While Choudhary was being admittedly seen as the "most preferred" candidate for the top job, a "surprise" could not be ruled out since the final decision would be taken by the BJP's top leadership, known for adopting a "shock and awe" strategy.

Meanwhile, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad was asked about reports that the BJP was likely to hold a meeting in Delhi to discuss the formation of the new government in Bihar.

Prasad told PTI Video, "Of course, being a significant constituent of the NDA, the BJP has the right to hold deliberations on the emerging situation. But one thing is clear. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's consent will be sought while deciding his successor. Moreover, he will continue to spend as much time as possible in the state to offer guidance to the new government."