An election wave is sweeping through Bihar, bringing forward intense speculations about the future leadership of the state, its political parties, and leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. As Nitish Kumar ages and his popularity sees a dip in surveys, discussions around his succession are gaining momentum. Leaders from the opposition alliance, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), describe Nitish as weary, advocating for youth leadership. The spotlight in Bihar's political landscape now shines not just on the elections but also on potential heirs to Nitish's legacy.
For decades, Bihar's politics revolved around the disciples of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. Leaders like Lalu Yadav of RJD and Nitish Kumar of JD(U) have been at the helm for over three decades. However, now new faces are making their mark. Today, we'll delve into five prominent personalities deemed as contenders for Nitish's CM chair.
Tejashwi Yadav
Tejashwi Yadav stands as a prominent candidate for the Chief Minister's post after Nitish Kumar. Serving as the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Tejashwi was also the Deputy CM in the grand alliance government led by Nitish. In the 2020 assembly elections, Tejashwi steered the RJD and the coalition's campaign to emerge as the largest party. Recently, in a C-Voter survey, Tejashwi emerged as the most popular face for the CM with a 35.5% preference rate.
Samrat Chaudhary
Samrat Chaudhary is the Deputy CM of Bihar. According to a C-Voter survey, 13% of participants picked Samrat as their top choice for the CM role. At 56, Samrat was once the Bihar BJP president during the NDA government formation led by Nitish Kumar. Known as an opponent of Nitish, he was endorsed by Haryana's CM to lead victory in Bihar. Samrat joined the RJD ministry under Rabri Devi in 1999, but was later removed due to age criteria. Hailing from the Kushwaha community, integral to Nitish's caste equation, Samrat's political lineage includes his father, Shakuni Chaudhary, a notable RJD leader.
Prashant Kishor
Prashant Kishor, a strategist-turned-politician, founded the Jan Suraj party and emerges as a close contender for CM post, following Tejashwi Yadav. Garnering 17% favor in surveys, PK is vocal on issues like family politics, migration, employment, and education. He has vowed to end liquor prohibition within an hour if his party forms the government. In recent by-elections, his party showed a strong presence with a notable vote share.
Chirag Paswan
Chirag Paswan, leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), hints at contesting Bihar elections. Although a central minister, his politics revolves around Bihar with the 'Bihar First, Bihari First' campaign. His 2020 move to field candidates against JD(U) impacted the party's standing, with Nitish attributing their third-place finish to Chirag's strategy. As a dynamic youth leader, 6% in the survey see him as a potential CM.
Pushpam Priya
Pushpam Priya Chowdhary announced her CM ambitions with full-page media ads before the 2020 Bihar elections, launching the Plurals Party. Running from two constituencies, she faced defeat. Her father, Vinod Kumar Chowdhary, served as an MLC with JD(U). An alumna of the London School of Economics, Pushpam aims to bring fresh perspectives to Bihar's political arena.
