Posters projecting Samrat Choudhary as new CM Bihar CM put up outside BJP office in Patna | Video
Samrat 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.
Posters projecting BJP leader and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary as the next Chief Minister of Bihar surfaced outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Patna on Thursday, as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar left for Delhi to take oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Some of the posters were later removed by party office staff. They were put up in the name of the ‘Valmiki Samaj’, a Dalit community traditionally associated with sanitation work.
Who put the posters?
Meanwhile, the BJP state media in charge, Danish Eqbal, said that they have no idea who has put up these posters. "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," Eqbal told reporters.
Speculation is mounting that Nitish Kumar may step down after being sworn in as a member of the Rajya Sabha, with reports suggesting he could chair his final cabinet meeting next week.
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.
Bihar likely to get new CM on April 14
According to sources in the BJP, which is the single largest party in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the formation of the new government is likely to take place after April 14, marking the end of the inauspicious Hindu period of 'Kharmaas'.
Party insiders indicated that top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, are expected to attend a "grand ceremony" for what is being projected as the first BJP-led government in Bihar.
While Samrat Choudhary is widely seen as the frontrunner for the Chief Minister's post, sources said the final call will rest with the party's central leadership, which is known for springing surprises with its leadership choices.
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."
Also Read: Nitish Kumar to take oath as Rajya Sabha member tomorrow, Bihar may get new CM on April 14
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