Rakesh Kumar to be the new Chief Minister of Bihar!

The Bharatiya Janata Party is poised to create history in Bihar. This includes having a BJP Chief Minister for the first time in the state. However, the party has already surprised everyone by appointing a national president from Bihar and if all goes well, Rakesh Kumar will be the twenty-third Chief Minister of Bihar.

The BJP has decided to abandon its principle of excluding defectors in appointing the new Chief Minister. However, the name BJP leaders have approved for Bihar's new Chief Minister, began his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He later joined the JDU and Lalu Prasad Yadav's party.

His father, Shakuni Chaudhary, was a senior socialist leader and minister in Bihar. He served as a seven-time MLA and a one-time MP. His mother, Tara Devi, was also a one-time MLA.

Rakesh Kumar is known as Samrat Chaudhary in today's politics. He is an important OBC figure in the BJP in Bihar. In 1999, he served as Agriculture Minister in the Rabri Devi government. In 2010, he served as the Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. In 2014, he served as the Minister of Urban Development and Housing (Jitan Ram Manjhi government). In 2021–2022, he served as the Minister of Panchayati Raj in the Nitish Kumar government.

In 2022, he became the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council. In 2023, he served as the State President of the Bihar BJP. In 2024, he became the Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Bihar.

Born in Khagaria, Bihar on November 16, 1968, Samrat Chaudhary's family has long been involved in politics. Therefore, he was exposed to the political environment since childhood.

Samrat Chaudhary began his political journey with the student organization, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. His political career began with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He emerged as a young leader. He played an active role in Bihar politics in the 1990s and became an MLA for the first time in 2000.

Samrat Chaudhary's political career has gone through many phases. After stints in the RJD and JDU, he eventually joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and gradually became one of the party's prominent leaders. After joining the BJP, Samrat Chaudhary rose rapidly, becoming a member of the Bihar Legislative Council and increasing his influence within the organization. In 2023, he was appointed the BJP's Bihar State President.

After becoming state president, he worked to strengthen the party's organization in the state. He belongs to the Kushwaha/Koeri community, a large OBC group in Bihar. This community's influence is particularly felt in areas like Magadh, Shahabad, parts of Mithila, and Seemanchal.

Samrat Chaudhary is married to Mamta Kumari and is the father of two children. According to his 2025 affidavit, his total assets are ₹11.3 crore and he has no outstanding dues. The 2025 affidavit raised allegations of discrepancies regarding his age and education. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, commenting that "such cases waste the court's time."