After weeks of political uncertainty in Bihar, a date has finally emerged: April 14. Nitish Kumar, who took oath as a Rajya Sabha MP on Friday, April 10, is learnt to be resigning as Bihar Chief Minister on that day, setting the stage for the state's first BJP CM, and the end of a two-decade-long political era defined by one man.
April 14 is no ordinary day on the calendar, for both political meanings and otherwise. It marks the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the architect of India's Constitution and a towering icon of the Dalit rights movement, hence the choice of the date carries symbolism in Bihar's deeply caste-conscious landscape.
Nitish Kumar's departure from Patna's political landscape marks a historic transition, though leaders of his party Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) have said he'll stay in the state capital and travel to Delhi for Parliament sessions.
The BJP, dominant partner in the NDA coalition but never the holder of the CM's chair in Bihar, now has its opportunity. The party secured 89 seats in the 2025 assembly elections, making it the single-largest party in the Vidhan Sabha for the first time; while ally JD(U) won 85.
Three names have emerged at the top of the BJP's list. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary is widely considered the frontrunner. A key leader of the Kushwaha community, Bihar's second-largest backward caste, his elevation would reinforce the party's OBC arithmetic. He currently holds the home affairs portfolio and is in his second stint as deputy CM.
