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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

From legacy to leadership

Samrat Choudhary's ascent reflects legacy, caste dynamics, and political shifts Patna:  The rise of Samrat Choudhary in Bihar's political landscape is not merely the story of an individual's success, but a reflection of a long political tradition, evolving social equations, and shifting power dynamics over time. Following his election as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's legislative wing, his elevation to the chief minister's office appears almost certain, which is marking a decisive...

From legacy to leadership

Samrat Choudhary's ascent reflects legacy, caste dynamics, and political shifts Patna:  The rise of Samrat Choudhary in Bihar's political landscape is not merely the story of an individual's success, but a reflection of a long political tradition, evolving social equations, and shifting power dynamics over time. Following his election as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's legislative wing, his elevation to the chief minister's office appears almost certain, which is marking a decisive milestone in a political journey spanning more than three and half decades. Over the years, his political journey traversed multiple parties, including the Congress, Samata Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), and Hindustani Awam Morcha. His name did surface in a high-profile criminal case in 1995, though he was later acquitted due to lack of evidence. Samrat Choudhary's mother Parvati Devi was also politically active and was elected as an MLA from Tarapur in a 1998 by-election. Among his siblings, Rohit Choudhary is associated with the JD(U) and is active in the education sector, while Dharmendra Choudhary is engaged in social work. His wife, Mamta Kumari, has also been actively involved during election campaigns. The family includes a son Pranay and a daughter Charu Priya. Choudhary entered active politics in 1990, beginning his career with the RJD. In 1999, he became Agriculture Minister in the Rabri Devi government, though his appointment was mired in controversy over his age, eventually forcing him to step down. He later parted ways with the RJD, moved to the JD(U), and ultimately joined the BJP. Since 2018, his stature within the BJP has steadily grown, culminating in his appointment as the party's Bihar state president in 2022. Controversy Man With the beginning of his new innings in the BJP, Choudhary once again found himself in the spotlight, this time over questions surrounding his educational qualifications. Allegations regarding the validity of the degree mentioned in his election affidavit became part of political discourse. The opposition, particularly Prashant Kishor, raised the issue forcefully during the elections. However, the controversy failed to gain substantive traction and remained confined to political rhetoric, with no significant impact on electoral outcomes. Hailing from the Tarapur region of Munger district, Choudhary's identity is deeply rooted in this region. Historically influential, the region has provided a strong social and political base for both him and his family. Belonging to the Kushwaha (Koeri) community, he represents a crucial social base in Bihar's caste equations. This makes his role significant in the 'Lav-Kush' (Kurmi-Koeri) political dynamic that has shaped the state's politics for decades. Sharp Turns Choudhary's political journey has been marked by sharp turns and contradictions. At one stage, he was among the fiercest critics of Nitish Kumar, even declaring that he would not remove his traditional 'Muraitha' (a kind of turban) until Kumar was unseated from power. Yet, as political equations shifted, Choudhary not only consolidated his position within the BJP but also emerged as a key figure in power-sharing arrangements with Nitish Kumar. After 2020, when Sushil Kumar Modi was moved to national politics, new opportunities opened up for Choudhary. He became a member of the Legislative Council, later served as Leader of the Opposition, and eventually rose to become state president. His political stature further expanded when, following Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA, Choudhary was entrusted with the dual roles of Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, which is an unprecedented move in Bihar's political framework. Despite his rise, controversies have not been entirely absent from his career. Questions regarding his age and educational qualifications surfaced intermittently, though their long-term political impact remained limited. Today, Samrat Choudhary stands at the center of Bihar's political stage. His ascent is not merely the result of personal ambition but the outcome of a deep political legacy, an understanding of social dynamics, and strong organisational acumen. The real test now lies in how he transforms this legacy into effective governance and development. Strengthening law and order and meeting public expectations will be crucial. The people of Bihar are watching closely, and only time will determine how successfully he rises to the occasion.

Plan to make Maharashtra a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2047

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has put forth a vision to make Maharashtra a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2047. He told the Neeti Aayog meeting at Delhi on Saturday that his government in the state is busy preparing a time-bound program to bring this vision into reality.


Maharashtra government recently completed its 100-day exercise to set and achieve goals to make the state administration transparent, accessible and accountable. Various government departments achieved over 700 targets set by them during the period. In the next phase, a more elaborate 150-day program too was launched recently with a special focus on e-governance. Similarly a long term vision too is being charted out, the CM told the Neeti Aayog.


In 2047 Maharashtra will be completing 75 years of its formation and the state administration is currently busy charting a grand vision for the occasion and also the roadmap to achieve the set goals. These goals too are being set in a phased manner. The first phase is till 2029 and goals are being set for every year till 2029. The next phase will be till 2035 and the last phase will be of 12 years between 2035 and 2047 to realize the vision in action, the CM said.


Among the key factors of the grand vision are the goals to make the state’s economy worth 1 trillion dollars by 2030 and worth 5 trillion dollars by 2047. Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) shall play an important role in this as it is being developed as a growth hub which in itself will be a 1.5 trillion economy by 2047, the CM said.


Industrial development

The state government is also planning to boost the potentials of the tier-2 and tier-3 cities through industrial development. As part of these efforts Gadchiroli is being developed as the Steel City, Nagpur as the defence hub, Amravati as Textile cluster, Chhatrapati SambhajiNagar and AURIC city as EV production hubs while the port town of Dight in Raigad district is being developed into a smart industrial city, he added.


CM Fadnavis also said that the state government has formulated several policies to give a boost to services sectors. Some of the policies he mentioned in this regard are IT policy, Export Promotion Policy. Logistics Policy, Audio-Visual-Gaming_Comics (AVGC) policy, GCC (Global Competence Centre) policy etc.


Boost to MSME

While counting the state’s achievements, the CM said that the state has over 60 lakh MSME registered on the Udyam portal, which, he said, is the highest number in the country. He also said that by the means of ease of doing business and the CM’s employment generation program over 2 lakh entrepreneurs were given assistance in developing their businesses.


The state government is also developing a innovation city to give a boost to startups and constructive talent. The sectors identified for this include AI, green energy, biotech, Fintech, Agritech etc. which is expected to lead an ecosystem based on smart manufacturing. The CM also mentioned two MOUS worth Rs 5000 crore for global studios signed at the recent WAVES summit in the city.


To power this grand vision several MOUs have been recently signed to ensure 45,500 MW of additional power to the state. Majority of this power is green and the state shall have 52% of its total power supply through green sources by 2030, the CM told the conference of the heads of states.


He also sought the centre’s guidance and assistance in planning and implementation of 2027 Kumbha mela at Nashik and also in other sectors to achieve the envisioned growth targets.

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