PATNA :

 

BHARATIYA Janata Party (BJP) leader Samrat Choudhary was on Wednesday sworn in as the 24th Chief Minister of Bihar, in the first instance of any BJP member making it to the top post in the State. He was administered the oath of office by Governor Syed Ata Hasnain at the Lok Bhawan, in presence of a host of dignitaries, including JD(U) President Nitish Kumar, who had given up the CM’s post a day ago, Union Minister and former BJP President J P Nadda and Chirag Paswan, who heads the LJP (RV), the third-largest constituent of the ruling NDA in Bihar. Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, both from the JD(U), also took oath on the occasion and were designated as Deputy Chief Ministers later in the day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Samrat Choudhary and said his energy, dedication to public service and grassroots experience will prove extremely beneficial for the State. “Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Shri Samrat Choudhary on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar! His energy, dedication to public service, and grassroots experience will prove extremely beneficial for the State. I am fully confident that under his capable leadership, while fulfilling the aspirations of the people, Bihar will touch new heights of all-round development,” Modi said in a post on X in Hindi.

 

The CM has for now kept with himself close to 30 portflios, including crucial ones like Home, Vigilance, Revenue and Land Reforms and Health. The other departments that remain with the CM include Agriculture, Labour Resources and Migrant Workers Welfare, Disaster Management, Panchayati Raj, and Industries. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary has been allocated 10 departments, including Water Resources, Parliamentary Affairs and Information and Public Relations, portfolios that he held in the previous Nitish Kumar Government. Yadav will hold eight departments, including Energy, Finance and Planning and Development, which he had been entrusted with in the previous Government. He has also been allocated the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department. The change of guard in the State has been necessitated by Kumar, 75, becoming a member of the Rajya Sabha. After the oath-taking ceremony, the Chief Minister went to the Secretariat where he held a meeting with Government officials, whom he briefed about priorities of his administration. Later, Choudhary also visited the BJP office where he was felicitated by party workers.