- Party
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Born
- 16 November 1968 (his age has been disputed), Lakhanpur, Munger district, Bihar
- Education (declared)
- Madurai Kamaraj University (disputed)
- In current post since
- 15 April 2026
- Seat
- Tarapur, Munger (Legislative Assembly)
Samrat Choudhary, born Rakesh Kumar, is the son of two Bihar politicians: Shakuni Choudhary, a former MLA and minister, and Parvati Devi. The family belongs to the Koeri (Kushwaha) community, an important backward-caste group in Bihar, and the BJP has promoted him as its main OBC face in the state.
The age question
Few leaders' careers have been shaped so much by a dispute over their age. In May 1999 Rabri Devi's RJD government made him a minister before he held a seat in the legislature. He was removed that November after allegations that he was under the minimum age of 25. He then won the Parbatta seat in 2000, but in 2003, on a challenge raised by the BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi, the election was declared void on the same ground.
His educational qualifications have also been questioned. He declares higher education from Madurai Kamaraj University, and opponents have repeatedly challenged the details.
Three parties and a rise
He won Parbatta again in 2010 and served as the RJD's chief whip. He then moved to the JD(U) and became Urban Development and Housing Minister in 2014, before joining the BJP in 2017. His rise there was quick: Panchayati Raj minister in 2021, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council in 2022, and state president in March 2023.
When Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in January 2024, Choudhary became Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister and presented the state budget. He led the BJP's campaign in the November 2025 election, won Tarapur by 45,843 votes and took the Home department. As Home Minister he announced anti-Romeo squads, a list of about 400 alleged mafia figures for action, and demolition drives against encroachments.
Chief Minister
In March 2026 Nitish Kumar announced he would leave the chief ministership to enter the Rajya Sabha, ending one of the longest tenures in the state's history. Choudhary was elected leader of the BJP legislature party and sworn in on 15 April 2026, the first BJP Chief Minister of Bihar.
During the 2025 campaign, the Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor made serious allegations about his age and a 1995 case, which are set out below with Choudhary's response. They remain allegations.
His government is just over six months old. Its early orders, such as requiring private schools to publish their fee structures, are on record, but it is too early to judge its performance.
Career at a glance
- 1999Made a minister in Rabri Devi's RJD government; removed months later over claims he was under age
- 2000Elected MLA from Parbatta; the election was later declared void over his age
- 2010Wins Parbatta again for the RJD
- 2014Joins the JD(U); Minister of Urban Development and Housing
- 2017Joins the BJP
- Mar 2023BJP state president for Bihar
- Jan 2024Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister
- Nov 2025Wins Tarapur; becomes Home Minister
- Apr 2026Sworn in as Chief Minister
Cases and allegations
An allegation, FIR or chargesheet is not proof of guilt. Only a court can convict, and convictions can be overturned on appeal. Status is as last checked on 2 Nov 2026.
In 1999 he was removed as a minister after allegations that he was below the legal age. In 2003, on a challenge raised by the BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi, a court declared his 2000 election from Parbatta void on the ground of age. Source
Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor alleged that Choudhary was an accused in a 1995 Tarapur murder case and had escaped trial by falsely claiming before the courts that he was a minor. Choudhary called the claims baseless, said he was not named in the investigation, and sent Kishor a legal notice seeking an apology or Rs 100 crore in damages. We have found no court ruling on the allegations. Source
One case under IPC sections 171F and 188 in a Munger court, and one other, both related to election rules and prohibitory orders, according to his affidavit and press reports. Source
The record card
Facts only, each from a public record. This is not a rating. Affidavit figures are the leader's own sworn declarations at the time of filing.
| Declared criminal cases | 2Bihar 2025 affidavit, Tarapur; under IPC 171F (election offence) and 188 (disobeying an official order) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions | None declared2025 affidavit | Source |
| Declared assets | Rs 11.35 crore2025; about Rs 9.4 crore of it immovable property; no liabilities | Source |
| Declared assets, earlier | Rs 8.86 croreLegislative Council affidavit, same archive | Source |
| Parties | 4Samata Party, RJD, JD(U), BJP | Source |
| Tarapur result, 2025 | Won by 45,843 votes56.8% of the vote | Source |
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Sources
- Election affidavit, Bihar 2025, Tarapur (ADR MyNeta archive)
- MyNeta, comparison of declared assets and cases
- ETV Bharat, Samrat Choudhary calls Prashant Kishor's allegations baseless (29 Sep 2025)
- Deccan Herald, Samrat Choudhary: a political career mired in controversies
- Wikipedia, Samrat Choudhary (career and elections)
- Wikipedia, Nitish Kumar (2026 move to the Rajya Sabha)
Photo: Information and public relations department Government of Bihar, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons.
This profile is built only from public records and attributed reports; read how we make these profiles. If anything here is wrong or out of date, or if you are Samrat Choudhary's office and want to respond, write to devv@bharatverseh.com. Every correction is listed in our corrections log.