A leader from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken oath as the new chief minister of eastern state of Bihar after veteran politician Nitish Kumar stepped down.
Samrat Choudhary, who was Kumar’s deputy, has been sworn-in Bihar’s first BJP chief minister.
Choudhary has held senior roles in the BJP, including that of the party’s state president, and led major election campaigns in different states.
But he now has big shoes to fill. Kumar, one of Bihar’s most influential leaders, was chief minister for the most part of the past two decades, often switching political alliances to stay in power.
With more than 74 million voters, Bihar is India’s poorest state, with millions migrating to other parts of India for jobs. It is also among the few states in India where the BJP has not managed to form a government yet on its own.
Kumar, who belongs to BJP’s ally Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), was elected to the Upper House of parliament last month. The 75-year-old politician’s move had been on the cards for a while because of his deteriorating health.
He resigned from the chief minister’s post on Tuesday, paving the way for Choudhary’s appointment.
“Bihar has changed and I must acknowledge that and give him [Kumar] due respect… Now Samrat Choudhary is set to become the chief minister. This is a big and historic day,” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters earlier.