Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Endorses Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary As Likely Successor

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday dropped ample hints that he preferred deputy CM and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary as his successor.

Addressing a public gathering in Jamui as part of the fourth leg of his ongoing “Samriddhi Yatra”, Nitish  placed his hand on Choudhary's shoulder and appealed to the people to support him. With a smile, he remarked, “Now he (Samrat) would handle all the work, and urged people to bestow their blessings upon him.”

Earlier too, he had hinted that Samrat  would be his successor but this time, he was apparently more  straightforward as he is bracing up for moving to Rajya Sabha and stepping down as chief minister next month.

With Nitish giving subtle message that Samarat would be the next chief minister of Bihar, speculations over Samrat’s potential elevation to the post of CM has got somewhat credence.

BJP, which has emerged as the single largest party in the last assembly election, in all probabilities will stake claim to the chief ministership. Choudhary is number two in the Nitish cabinet, presently holding the portfolio of the crucial home department also. For the first time in 20 years, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ceded the crucial Home portfolio to BJP. 

Representing Tarapur Assembly constituency, Samrat belongs to the Kushwaha community, the second-largest OBC group in Bihar after the Yadavs. With BJP aiming to consolidate non-Yadav OBC votes, it might elevate Kushaha to CM post to keep its Kushwaha vote bank intact at a time when RJD is eying this social group. Bihar is the only major Hindi heartland state where BJP has yet to occupy the top post.