Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, March 23
Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council Samrat Chaudhury has been appointed new President of state unit of BJP replacing Sanjay Jaiswal.
Samrat had been a RJD man since he entered politics and was minister in Cabinet of Ms Rabri Devi in 1999. He was the youngest minister in RJD cabinet. In 2013, Samrat left RJD with 12 other MLAs and joined JDU when Nitish Kumar had snapped ties with the BJP.
He was later nominated as member of Vidhan Parishad and appointed urban development minister by Nitish in the JDU, RJD, Congress ministry.
Later, Samrat left JDU and joined BJP. He again became minister in JDU-BJP government and was given panchayati raj ministry till the BJP was removed from the alliance by Nitish in August ,2022 when RJD rejoined the Grand Alliance.
Samrat ‘s parents too had been legislators in Bihar. His father Shakuni Chaudhury, who was health minister in Lalu ministry, had floated Samta Party along with Nitish Kumar. He represented Tarapur constituency in Bihar assembly for seven terms and once in Lok Sabha also. Samrat’s mother Parvati Devi was also a legislator who died last September.
Why he was made party President, Samrat himself gave reaction by saying he was a descendant of Ram who had two sons-Lav and Kush. He claimed he was from the Kush line and Lav is represented by Koeris, another branch of Kushwaha voters who constitute 6 per cent of the total electorate. Kushwahas are economically influential as sound in agriculture. They are widely spread in Bihar.
State JDU is also headed by a member of Kushwaha caste-Umesh Kushwaha.
Samrat’s elevation ignored the claims of party veterans Sushil Kumar Modi, Giriraj Singh, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey and Sanjiv Chaurasiya.
His appointment as state BJP chief also deprived Upendra Kushwaha possibility of heading the state BJP. He had resigned from the post of chairman of Central Parliamentary Board of JDU and also membership of legislative council.
